Villainous
by Lady Kiridia
Summary: <html><head></head>In which Link tries his hand at playing the villain. "There really is no rest for the wicked..." She yanked him closer, lips turned in a sultry smile. "Shut up and get to work." A fluffy short story that takes place after the events of Twilight Princess.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**This story is written for ShadowQueenMidna, because we're both severely lacking in the Zelink fluffies!**

**Warning: Rated M for mature scenes of fluffiness and sappy content, as well as some steamy romance and innuendos. If you like that stuff then enjoy!**

**Also this is meant to be a lighthearted fiction, very little seriousness involved, a complete contrast to one of the other stories I have which also takes place in Twilight Princess. Zelda will not be a cold and calculative monarch and the world will not be so angst riddled. I'm mostly going to be practicing my banter, so any advice and comments you have are welcome!**

**Disclaimer: Nintendo owns LoZ, not me *sobs in a corner***

* * *

><p><span><strong>Villainous<strong>

**Chapter 1:**

Link grit his teeth as he stared down at the door guards. Of all the bloody stubborn...!

"Let me pass!"

It was a forceful command and under regular circumstances the guards would have jumped to obey forthwith. However, this time they must have been threatened with punishment of unspeakable horror for they maintained their stations and faced him with daring reserve. They both stared ahead, unwilling to catch his eyes lest they flinch and cave. Link knew how it was with guards. It was almost enough to inspire admiration from him.

But Link was not in a decent mood, and as such their resilient virtue was taken as obstinate stubbornness.

"Are your minds too feeble to comprehend? Step aside!" He took a step forward and in response the pair of guards crossed their spears, effectively blocking the maple doors that led to Zelda's study.

"I am sorry, Sir Link," spoke the right guard. "But we have our orders. The Queen will see no one."

It took all of his control not to draw his sword and put them in their place. He did not do so for one reason and that was because he'd promised Zelda he wouldn't carry a bare blade in the castle unless there was a serious threat. Even four years after the Twilight invasion, people still panicked at the sight of a drawn sword in the hallways, thinking that they were once again under siege. Instead he passed a hand through rough ragged hair, having long discarded his cap and hero outfit for finer and moderately more uncomfortable apparel as befitted his station as Queen's Champion.

Queen Zelda, at twenty-one, had ascended the throne and taken her rightful place as ruler of Hyrule. The coronation had been originally intended to take place right after her twentieth birthday, as was tradition, but then the matter of Zant arose, inevitably delaying it until well after the reconstruction efforts had begun. Zelda had refused to pass the ceremony until her people were sheltered and cared for.

That was his Zelda. Putting the wellbeing of others before her own. But Goddesses above, sometimes he wished she'd consider her needs in lieu of others. Couldn't she realize it was impossible to fend for every single living being in all of Hyrule? Apparently not, if her boundless generosity was anything to go by. She'd have dipped into her own account long ago to support them if her ministers hadn't prevented her.

Link fingered his sword, seriously considering violating that promise. "If you won't comply then I'll just have to forcefully remove you myself." A sharp zing of metal as he flicked it out partially to show that he wasn't bluffing.

A steely voice rang through the corridor.

"Sir Link, if you do not stand down right this moment and let these men tend to their posts then I shall have _you_ forcefully removed from the castle grounds."

The guards visibly slumped in relief upon the arrival of the newcomer.

Sword snapping back into its sheath, Link whirled around to face the man, a frown instantly in place. "You're not her keeper, Lord Raleigh."

Lord Leon Raleigh was a member on Zelda's council and her closest advisor in matters of the state. He was getting on in years, as was apparent by the grey streaks in his sideburns and the wrinkles, which drew ugly lines across his brow whenever he frowned – which was more often than not. He was a man of intellect and had been a thorn in Link's side ever since he'd moved into the castle. He seemed to think that Link's lack of formal education somehow made him more barbaric in nature. To him Link was just a callous swordsman with no dignity to his name, despite the extensive feats he'd accomplished and the fact that he'd saved their land and then princess from a rule of tyranny.

How he despised the man.

"_Don't take what he say's to heart_," Zelda had told him once as she'd comforted him one night after having thrown a massive diatribe. "_He is brusque in manner, but he means well_."

That had always been something Link could never see, at least when it came to him. No, the minister did not always mean well. Often he was just plain interference.

The minister narrowed his eyes and motioned to the guards. They started forward, spears raised.

"She's been locked up in her study for days," Link said defensively, eyeing the guards and just daring them to go ahead and try to throw him out. They wavered just the slightest bit and paused in their advance. "How do you know she's not dead or dying?"

Lord Raleigh thrust his chin high and gave a haughty scoff. "Don't be a fool. The Queen is attending to important business of state as she has been for weeks. She has much to do and little time to dally with ruffian swordsmen who claim to be the General of the Golden Legion. We have servants who attend to her whenever she calls for them. I'm certain if anything were wrong they'd inform me. If your presence is not specifically requested then you have no right to enter."

To hell he had no right! He was her Champion, her advisor and protector, so why was it that he was not permitted to go near her? Ludicrous!

Baring his teeth, Link replied tersely. "I am assigned to her majesty's protection. I should at least be allowed in the same room as her."

"And provide distraction she does not need?" asked Lord Raleigh coldly. "I think it's best that you retire for the night, Sir Link."

"The night is when assassins abound," he said pointedly.

Eyebrow twitching, the minister turned abruptly on his heels. "Nevertheless, she will not see anyone. Not even you, hero."

Link opened his mouth to reply but a voice interfered from beyond the heavy doors, muffled but still familiar.

"_Link? Is that you?"_

He sent a smirk at the pompous Lord, whose shoulders perceptively stiffened. He faced the doors and spoke loudly. "Zelda, I-"

"_If you could take your conversation elsewhere that would be much appreciated, thank you. The noise is disturbing." _

Link blinked in astonishment. Then the full range of her words hit him and he was left to gape. He was cut to the quick and almost staggered back from shear disbelief. Had she just…? Did she… dismiss him? HIM? Her closest friend and confidant?

Her singsong voice, no matter how pleasant, was tinged with slight irritation. He knew that tone, was well acquainted with it. It was not to be messed with under any circumstances.

She truly did not wish to see him…

The minister shot him a smug smile from over his shoulder. "To the green room, hero?"

Link scowled, his jaw clenching. He swerved to move down the hall. "No. We're finished here."

Shoulders squared stiffly, he stormed down the corridor, intending to get as far away from the minister as he possibly could. Lord Raleigh's loud laughter rang after him, echoing maddeningly as if bounced off the smooth castle walls.

"_Pleeeease, Lord Raleigh. I require silence."_

Again her words were polite but tinged with an undertone of exasperation and slight impatience.

The minister spluttered before quickly muttering an apology through the door.

Link increased his pace, smiling as he turned a corner.

* * *

><p>Four years had passed since the twilight invasion and in that time drastic changes had been implemented into the security system of Hyrule Castle and Castle Town. As Queen's Champion Link had been given the authority to make these changes and his first order of business had been to whip the soldiers back into shape. Straight following he had selected the best of them, the ones he deemed most advanced and virtuous, to rise up the ranks as the new knightly order of Hyrule. It hadn't mattered whether they were from noble or common background, he'd had Queen Zelda's support and that was all he'd needed to see them swiftly knighted. He'd instilled in them the ancient values of the former order, those same values that he upheld with unfailing reverence, and made of them an example for others to follow. They'd become leaders of the nation, providing assistance when it was needed and doing their utmost to serve their ruler with unwavering loyalty.<p>

Link had next scrutinized their defenses and sought to cover up the numerous weak spots that enemies could easily exploit. Most importantly, he'd doubled the guards in the castle and plotted multiple escape routes for her majesty should another unfortunate incidence occur.

His memories lingered on those long hours spent going over those plans. Blessed hours spent in solitude with Zelda. Only about half of that time was used productively, for the other half they'd done…other things…

Nevertheless, by the end he'd made her go through the escape plan over and over, only satisfied when he was certain she could do it half asleep. He still remembered what she'd said back then as he had pushed her to the brink of collapse.

"_How I detest you, Link. Does your cruelty know no bounds?" _

His reply had been blunt. "_If being mean will save your life, then so be it. I'd rather you lived to hate me than having me regret being too kind to you_."

Uncharacteristically, she had stuck out her tongue, a brash move, and one that had ignited many stirrings within him. Hours more had been spent after that doing those other things.

They lived in a well-earned era of peace. Because of their conjoined fates and experiences at the hands of the twilight, he and Zelda had formed an irreplaceable bond, even when it was all over they couldn't bear to part and resume their normal lives as if nothing had ever happened. So they sought each other out. They could often be found wandering the gardens together or riding in the fields. He was her guard and she his queen, but somewhere along the lines they had become something more.

Presently found Link patrolling the outer battlements, the high elevation of the wall offered him a view of both sides, to his right a sprawling town, and to his left a clear green vista that was west Hyrule field. He had just completed his weekly inspection of the troops and was now overseeing their first line of defense, keenly surveying it for faults.

Accompanying him was a knight by the name of Sir Hadrian of Tarrence, the very first man he'd chosen to become a knight of the new order.

Link nodded at the soldiers he passed, hands clasped behind his back and posture rigid. Apparently something in his demeanor had caught Hadrian's attention for he made sure to keep a good two feet of space between them and continuously cast him glances from the corner of his eyes.

Link caught him glancing once again and his patience waned. He inclined his head. "Is there something on your mind, Hadrian? If so, do relieve yourself and spit it out."

* * *

><p>Hadrian winced. It was easy to forget how perceptive Link was, and how volatile he could be at times. "If I may say so… You don't appear to be in a good mood this morning."<p>

Link snorted in disregard. "Nonsense. I'm in the best of moods. Perfectly chipper." He whirled and thrust a finger at an unsuspecting soldier. "You there! Straighten that posture, if I catch you slouching once more I'll have you rung up and put on display!"

The soldier stammered and snapped to attention, almost breaking his back in the process. "Y-yes Sir – I - I mean, yes milord!"

"You had it right the first time! Know how to properly address people. Any uncertainty you have an enemy can exploit to his own advantage. Am I clear?"

The soldier trembled under Link's fierce gaze. "V-very clear, sir."

Link gave a stiff nod. "Good man. I see you learn fast."

As if he hadn't just emotionally traumatized a full-grown man out of the next four to six years of his life, Link continued on down the walkway on the lookout for any more slackers, the poor souls.

Hadrian sighed and murmured. "Chipper, indeed." Link's ear's twitched but he opted not to respond. It seemed that if they were to get anywhere he'd have to push a little more forcefully.

"Link, you know that if there's anything at all bothering you, you may unburden yourself on me," he said in a voice of deep concern. "You have my ears and I'm not one inclined to judge a man no matter who he is and no matter what his troubles are. I've seen enough…lived through enough…to know and even understand that the strongest of men are capable of succumbing to their emotions."

Link slowed his trod then stopped altogether, shoulders slumping. He exhaled lightly and looked at Hadrian. "I know you mean well, but there are some things in this world that cannot be fixed by talking about it."

"Come now, it cannot be all that bad," said Hadrian lightly, as they started walking again. Word must have spread, for every soldier they saw from thereon was on high alert and saluted Link with fast sharpness.

Link looked not to be paying attention to them at all, suddenly lost in his own musings. "To you, perhaps not."

"Even so, you'll feel better after you've had your say about it," Hadrian responded. "And who knows, if it is as serious as you make it out to be, perhaps we can bounce ideas on how to go about rectifying whatever it is that plagues you so."

Link was silent for a moment then he buckled, and once he got started talking it became a challenge to keep up as the words tumbled out of his mouth. Hadrian was amazed he was capable of speaking so much all in one go, but listened attentively.

At first – to no surprise - he ranted about Lord Raleigh, a very important minister and a person normal people would not want to be heard complaining about in public. His anger then devolved to the common affairs of state, the meetings and delegations he had to attend, before he derailed completely and spoke about her majesty.

Hadrian knew of the alliance the Queen was working all hours to forge between Hyrule and their neighboring country of Termina and how it was of vital importance that it be done as quickly as possible. They offered trade and resources that Hyrule could benefit greatly from, and they were a coastal country, which gave the treaty even more importance. He also knew of Link's very close relationship with the Queen, and that he could become quite jealous when it came to her. He may have accepted that he was required to share her with the people, that was as long as he was beside her for the most part, but this time away from her must have been torture on his soul.

Hadrian listened with an attentive ear, pitying him all the while.

"I'm her Champion, for Goddesses sake! I should damn well be allowed to see her," Link spat. "But no! She sends me away, as if I'm a pest! An annoyance!"

Rolling his shoulders, Hadrian determined to defend their Queen. "She is busy. Don't worry about it. Once the treaty is signed it shall be over and done with. It won't be long now."

Link stomped as he walked. "It better not be." He then released a long breath of frustration. He looked over to peer at the glistening green landscape, dotted with the occasional tree. His eyes took on a far-seeing glaze. "I don't know what it is, but being away from her like this…I lose myself. I feel as though a part of my soul has been stripped from me. There is warmth only when I'm around her."

Hadrian smiled. "Ah, love in all its shining glory."

Link did not question how Hadrian knew of his feelings towards the Queen. He'd been in love with her ever since he'd witnessed first hand the lengths she went to in order to expedite the restoration of her country. He had done nothing since to hide his ardor for her.

"It's maddening…"

"Yet men would give their souls for a fleeting chance at it."

Link laughed softly. "No wonder the women folk call us crazy."

"Crazy how we so easily succumb to their wicked wiles?" said Hadrian, shooting Link a grin.

"Wicked indeed," said Link with a small smile. "And none more wicked than the Queen herself." His smile abruptly vanished as a frown manifested in its place. "And therein lies the problem. She's the Queen, I can't ask of her to devote herself solely to me. As much as the idea is appealing, I can never be that selfish. Yet she spreads herself so thinly to accommodate absolutely everyone, the time that I have with her is too brief for my liking."

"You must admit, she is very social and manages well doling out her attention," Hadrian scratched his short scruff of beard. "But I do agree. Some time to herself, and some time with her Champion, would do her well. When was the last time she had a vacation?"

The hero replied almost immediately. "Two years ago."

Hadrian peered at him curiously. "That trip to Ordon? I remember she was so insistent on visiting your place of birth. And all it took was one cute pout to have you agreeing to it."

Link huffed. "It took a lot more than that."

"If you say so."

"I do."

Hadrian shook his head in wry amusement.

They were approaching the end of their route. The western gatehouse loomed before them, two turrets standing erect on either side of a tall gate, from which archers were positioned. Each end had a lever that controlled the raising and lowering of the drawbridge. As it was during daylight hours, the drawbridge was currently lowered and the massive doors open. A team of soldiers patrolled the lower regions, inspecting anyone passing in or out of the town.

The gatekeeper noticed them and waved. Hadrian hailed him with an energetic wave of his own while Link only raised his hand in a half-hearted motion.

"I've been a real shrew today, haven't I?" Link admitted bashfully.

He couldn't help but tease the hero a little. "Not at all. You've been a shrew for the better part of an entire two weeks at least, now."

This was met with coarse grumbling from Link who had to force down his ire once they reached the gatehouse.

Seeing as how he was less likely to tear off any heads, Hadrian opted to do most of the talking. He began by asking for the regular report.

"Nothing suspicious on around here," said the gatekeeper, a stout man by the name of Cyrus. "Hyrule is the most protected it's ever been, to my account that is. It's like a tightly woven net. No fish is able to swim through it without us allowing it. Won't see any villains stepping foot in the town anytime soon. They'd be stopped before they made it halfway to the gate."

Hadrian smiled pleasantly at the man. His confidence was reassuring. "That is good and all, but you must know that villains don't always take the direct approach as we would have them. Some operate on deceit to gain entrance. Lies come easy to them and you may be fooled. And there are others who are already within the walls. No matter our efforts, where there is a large populace always a number of those people will defer to crime as their way of living. Also not everyone is as loyal to the crown as we are. It is impossible for her majesty to please everybody, and some would go to great lengths to see her fall."

Cyrus tensed, tightening his hold around his javelin, his expression one of severity. "We keep a sharp eye out for those felons. And even if we don't catch them, we certainly don't make life any easier for them. Besides, they aren't a true threat. Compared to the Queen's Champion they're like flightless guay. Sir Link would have them down and restrained in a matter of seconds, wouldn't you, Sir?"

At the mention of his name, Link blinked and nodded. It was evident, however, that his mind was currently elsewhere. "Certainly. Whatever you say."

Cyrus beamed while Hadrian eyed the hero up and down. It was unlike Link to be so distracted while attending to his duties, especially when it comprised of overseeing the safety and protection of the Queen.

"Not many can measure up to Sir Link's capabilities," he conceded truthfully, stroking his chin while eyeing Link oddly. He turned back to the gatekeeper. "Why, none but Sir Link is able to get past our guards, and for the life of me I've never quite figured out how he does it. He can creep up on a Keaton if he wanted to. We are only lucky that his loyalty lies with Hyrule rather than elsewhere. Otherwise I fear that with all our soldiers and knights combined we still wouldn't have skill enough to defend the castle from him. Only he could slip in and out without being caught."

Link abruptly shot his head up, blinking in what could only be described as sudden amazement.

Both gatekeeper and knight glanced at him in confusion.

"Is something the matter, Link?" Hadrian asked hesitantly, wondering if something they'd said had struck a nerve.

But then Link smiled widely. Hadrian could practically see the grey cloud that had been hovering over his head for weeks slowly shrink and vanish altogether. It was a tad frightening how drastically the hero's mood changed.

He froze as he found himself clasped by the shoulders, Link's bright face beaming widely at him. "That's it! Sir Hadrian, you are a genius!"

Hadrian cast his eyes wildly about, somewhat embarrassed. "Er – ah – of course, Li – ahhh, Sir Link."

Link abruptly let him go and pivoted on his heel, charging down the nearest flight of stairs.

Hadrian stared after him as the hero reached the ground and wove expertly into the crowded street. He and the gatekeeper shared similar expressions of bemusement.

"What was that about?" said Cyrus, scratching the back of his neck.

He shrugged. "Hell if I know." He swept his eyes over the buildings and stalls below, people rushing around as they carried on their daily work. The wind blew a breeze in his face, a dog barked. Link was already lost to sight, and Hadrian could only surmise that he was thundering full pelt toward the castle.

He sighed. They were about finished their rounds anyways. May as well head back. Calling goodbye to Cyrus, he started down the ramparts at a much more leisurely pace. He'd never understand Link's idiosyncrasies, and he doubted he ever would. It was a waste of time and energy to think about.

As he made his way slowly to the castle he didn't know then that his words, seemingly innocent in nature, would inspire Link to carry out his next course of action. He was not to know that he had started a reaction that could only end in disaster.

* * *

><p>Sometimes she found she had conflicting feelings about her office. Often it was a haven of sorts, somewhere to retreat to when the activity at court became too much for her. She liked to nestle down on the plush sofa with a good book, letting the warmth of the fireplace wash over her and nursing a warm cup of tea. Those were moments of bliss. Other times, more recently that is, it was a prison. It was not high up in a tower like the room Zant had locked her in during the invasion, but it did share other aspects. For one, the longer she stayed the more the walls seemed to close in around her, and everything became more oppressive. She felt…cold, trapped, only this time it was of her own choosing. Technically she could leave whenever she wanted, but she'd forbidden herself from stepping foot out of the room as long as there was work to be done. Or at least until nightfall, which was more hours away than she cared to think about.<p>

Zelda worked diligently at her desk, a sturdy mahogany; a beautiful antique that had been passed down through a series of royal successors, embellished with golden marking and depictions of triforces at each corner. It was well polished with not a scratch lining its elegant surface.

She dabbed her quill in the inkpot and continued her writing, eyes growing heavy. She covered a yawn and stared at the wall. Really, she was too tired to be thinking. Perhaps if she just closed her eyes…only for a moment…just a short nap.

Gradually, her body slumped and tilted to the side. She shot up, slamming a fist down on the desk.

No! There was work to be done and she was almost finished. She could sleep all she wanted after.

She sighed as she noticed a black splotch had been made on the paper from where her pen had dripped. She planted the pen back in the inkwell and waved her hand over the parchment. The spilled ink rose from the paper and with a flick of her wrist slithered back into the jar.

Apparently she needed a break. She rose from her chair and rang for tea before going to lie down on the sofa, then decided against it and sat up straight. She didn't need her body shutting down quite yet.

Later, she promised herself. Later.

Idly she glanced over at the door, wondering if Link was going to try to visit again.

Guilt welled up in her chest as she thought back to a few days ago. She felt horrible for sending him away like that, but he was a big distraction for her. Whenever he was nearby it was as if she was compelled to have no other thoughts but of him. Now that she thought about it, he tended to crop up in her mind a lot when he wasn't anywhere nearby too. For some reason her attention always revolved around him.

Hmmm… Must be his dashing good looks. He'd managed to infatuate half the ladies at court with his appearance alone. Goodness knows his personality was nothing to vie for. He was about as antisocial as a redead, and whenever he did speak it was very blunt and factual as if he were planning out war strategies. He just didn't see the point in light talk. It was a wonder how he had made it into numerous social circles; they must have found his serious demeanor charming.

Yet there was something about him that she couldn't help but cherish. Every time he smiled good-naturedly at a stranger, how he was never above doing the simplest little things if it meant assisting another, or how he took on the most difficult challenges with that warrior gleam in his eye. That gleam, like the one he'd had during their final confrontation against Ganondorf, made her heart flutter every time…

It was just so damn sensual.

She missed him… She'd barely seen him ever since she began working on this blasted treaty, and when she did it was in mere glimpses. He'd be down in the yard, training with his troops, while she glided along a corridor two stories above, catching sight of him as she peered out a window.

And how she loved watching him train. Summer especially proved to be the best time for Link-watching. The days would be so hot that he would take off his tunic and undershirt to fight bare-chested. It never ceased to mesmerize her as she studied all those bumps and ridges that formed the contours of his muscles, sweat gleaming off his skin making him shine in the light of the sun. More than once she'd been guilty of stealing his Hawkeye mask just to ogle him from afar. Of all the ladies who spied on him, she satisfied herself with knowing she always had the best view.

Her musings were interrupted as her tea arrived, carried in by a petite maid who set the tray down on her desk, poured a cup, and lastly turned to her with a curtsy.

"Is there anything else you'll be needing, majesty?"

Zelda waved a dismissive hand. "That will be all for now."

"As your majesty wishes."

The door clicked shut on her departure and Zelda got up, moving back toward the desk. She plopped down in the chair and carried her cup to her lips, breathing in the warm steam before sipping softly.

Moderately refreshed she decided to get some more work done. The thought of Link in all his shirtless glory was ample motivation to finish as soon as possible; it was nearing the end of spring after all.

A cool wind blew in through the window, breaking into two paths on either side of her chair and rustling the edges of her papers. Zelda moved a glass paperweight over the stack and continued writing.

Soon loud voices could be heard coming from outside.

Zelda thought nothing of it and flicked her hand above her head. The window slammed shut and a small click signaled that it had latched.

Her ears flicked at the almost indistinct sound of a clink...

That was the only warning she had before the windows behind her burst inward, shattering into thousands of pieces. Zelda just managed to swerve around, erecting a barrier in the same motion, in time to divert the glass. She let the shield fall and raised her arms for an attack. A pair of startling blue eyes caught the light as they entered into the room and peered at her from within the frame.

Slowly she put her hands down, eyebrows high on her head. "Link?" They then angled downward to form a confused frown. "Link, what are you doing?"

Link climbed through the window and strode forward, boots crunching on the shards. Her eyes widened as she took in his…different appearance. He had seemingly discarded his noble's garments to wear leathers in various shades of grey and black. Slung across his shoulders was a cloak fastened in the front by a silver clasp. His eyes gleamed from beneath his hood.

Her breath caught, heart pounding frantically within her chest.

He smiled a devious little smirk that spoke of naughty naughty things.

"Why, my little Queen, I'm here to kidnap you."

* * *

><p><strong>I was so nervous posting this. I have never written anything so sappy before, but meh, first time for everything. (Sappy content will actually be in the later chapters :P)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for the reviews. etsy, M, Guest, A True NaZaMi Fan, Nintendoes Gamer, Guest, Ancient . tree, and Generala! Thank you thank you thank you!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

"What?" Zelda could only stare blankly at him as he prowled further into the room. She took a step back for every step he took forward. Quickly she rounded the desk, putting more space in between them. She was honestly concerned about his state of mind.

"Link, you can't be serious!"

"Call me dark Link."

She pursed her lips. "_Link_," she pressed, "Now is really not a good time. Your…" she waved her hand in a circular motion, searching for the word, "shenanigans will just have to wait."

His smile never wavered, but Zelda could see that the glint in his eyes dulled a fraction. "That's the thing, I no longer care. You, my lovely little Queen, are coming with me whether you like it or not."

Was he seriously being serious? _Seriously_?!

Looking at him it was clear that he was not going to budge an inch. At that moment Zelda should have blasted him clear across the room, let him hit the wall and knock him out. Should have…but didn't. Some part of her thought she could still make Link see reason, and another part of her agonized over hurting Link in any way. With those two reasons combined she resorted to do the only thing she could…guilt him back to normal.

She took another step back at his movement forward, the back of her knees bumped against the sofa and she let herself fall onto it. She made her eyes go as wide as possible then hitched her shoulder, placing her hands above her chest. "Link…please, you're frightening me."

His grin broadened. "You're not frightened. It takes more than that to scare you. And it's Dark Link, remember."

Zelda huffed and thrust her hands on her hips. "I'm warning you. If you don't stop this right now-"

Her breath caught as he leaned over her, arms situated on either side of her head, snaring her against the sofa. He brought his face close to hers, noses touching. "You'll what?" he whispered suavely.

Zelda swallowed, all thoughts fleeing from her mind.

Where had this come from? He was being so brazen, so forward with her… She loved it!

Her eyes unconsciously settled on his lips, inches away from her, and longed to nibble on them.

The shouts resonating down the corridors brought her back to focus and she shoved against his shoulders, whining when he would not budge. "Liiiiink!"

If only he wasn't so heavy then this would be easier. Curse him and his delayed growth spurt!

Zelda missed his hand ducking into the folds of his cloak but caught sight of it as it withdrew, holding something enclosed in his fingers.

"Clearly you're having trouble with your memory," he said, raising his curled hand up. "It's Dark Link."

He threw his hand down, releasing the object in his grasp and covering his mouth with his sleeve. Instantly a cloud of white smoke shot up and Zelda inhaled it with a gasp. She was rendered into a fit of coughing as the smoke invaded her lungs. All at once her vision blurred, her muscles became weakened, and her thinking slowed.

From far away she felt something grab her wrists and then her body turning over. She was turned back around and then the floor disappeared and she found herself floating in midair.

The cloud thinned and she breathed in the clean air, her senses slowly returning to her. Windows and doors passed in a flash, everything else was a blur of grey. It took a few more seconds than normal to figure out that Link was running through the castle with her slumped in his arms.

She shifted and tried to smash her fist against his chest, only she couldn't find it. It took a bit more weak squirming and wriggling to discovers both her arms folded behind her back, attached at the wrists. He'd bound her._ He'd bound her!_

Of all the impudent…

She lost track of where she was going with that thought, but it would come to her… eventually.

Link abruptly spun around after he'd turned down a corridor and almost ran into a pack of soldiers. "Whoops, wrong way," he remarked.

The cries of the soldiers followed him as he pelted down the hall.

"There he is!"

"He's got the Queen!"

"Stop him!"

Link laughed as he flew down a set of stairs. He sounded as if he was having the time of his life, as if this was the most fun he'd had in ages. It must have brought him back to the good old days when running for his life had been a daily occurrence. Typical, only Link would find amusement in that. Well, maybe it was amusing because he outclassed them by far.

Goddesses, but he did make a shame of her soldiers.

Indignant on their behalf, Zelda resorted to making things as difficult for him as she could by wriggling in his grasp. Anything to give her poor soldiers a bit of an edge.

"Stop that, you're going to make me drop you."

"Good," she murmured and wriggled some more.

Link groaned and ducked inside an alcove. The guards who had been chasing them shot right past without seeing them. Link looked both ways to make sure there were no lurkers. "It's either you stop, or I throw you over my shoulder and carry you that way."

Zelda shot him a weak glare. "You…wouldn't."

His grin was one of promise. "Try me."

With a huff of dismay, Zelda settled compliantly into his arms. Link adjusted his hold on her so that her head lay in the crook of his neck, then dove out of hiding, heading once more for the exit.

It occurred to her that she was clever, she should have been able to come up with some sort of argument against him, or tricked him into letting her go… but as was considerably more apparent as time lapsed there was something wrong with her cognitive functions at the moment. Her logic and reasoning had been affected somehow…she'd bet her rupees on that infernal smoke cloud. A suppressant of some sort.

"Link…I'll…throw you in…dungeons…so help me…"

He chuckled lowly, reaching a set of ornate doors. "I don't think you're in any position to be making threats. Besides, you can't even pick me up, how will you be able to throw me in the dungeons?"

Darn it, he was right. He was far too heavy for her.

…wait a minute. She had meant that as a figure of speech, hadn't she?

Before she could announce this, Link shifted her so that he could free his hand and shove open the door. They were in the ballroom. Link had only to cut across then make it down one last set of stairs before they were out of the castle.

Now, if he'd trained her soldiers properly they would have barred all exits before then and efficiently trapped him within the castle grounds. He was going to be caught no matter what, and she'd enjoy coming up with a good punishment for him once her mental faculties returned to normal.

Link was halfway across the room before a frigid voice roared at him.

"Sir Link! What in all of Hyrule is the meaning of this!"

Zelda inwardly winced, recognizing the voice as belonging to Lord Raleigh. Instantly she felt a pang of pity for Link…wait, no! He was being an idiot, and doing idiotic things; he deserved to be put in his place. She was on Lord Raleigh's side!

She tried to convince herself of this as Link narrowed an irritated glare at the minister. He gave a light shrug. "You can take this as a rescue or a kidnap. In any case, I'm taking the Queen out of the castle to breathe a little," he said snidely and smirked. "Didn't you know? She was suffocating in that office of hers. Too bad some sour-faced old tyrant wouldn't allow me to check on her."

Lord Raleigh's face was fast turning red, until even the tips of his pointed ears were flushed. "The audacity! I command you to release her majesty this instant!"

Link flashed a smirk and flung out his arm. "Command this!"

A small clash as something hit the ground at the minister's feet then a blast of familiar white smoke filled the area. Lord Raleigh fell to his knees, hacking and trembling to support his weight. Zelda sympathized with him. She knew the feeling.

Link took this opportunity to make his escape. In two minutes flat he broke out of the castle only to encounter a whole new problem.

The soldiers must have just finished their training for the day for they were all geared up and looking to have come directly from the training yard, blood flowing and energized. A knight stood at the head, Sir Ryan of Vallure. He was a large man, headstrong and cocky, and had always been somewhat jealous of Link's prowess.

He waved his sword in front of him, a cunning smile adorning his face. "Hah, I knew it! When I heard you had gone mad and broken into the castle I knew that you were finally showing your true colors."

Zelda looked over the large knight then looked up at Link. They stood between him and the castle gate. She wondered what Link would do now. As much as she wanted him to be caught, Sir Ryan was the last person she wanted doing the capturing. This small chance at besting Link would make him unbearable for weeks, not to mention Link's pride would be mortally wounded. They shared a mutual dislike of one another. Link had been reluctant initially choosing Ryan as one of the knights, but even he had to admit that Ryan was brilliant with a sword and knew his battle stratagems. Not picking him would have been a show of bias, and a foolish action.

Zelda felt herself moved upright, toes lightly touching the ground as Link wound an arm tightly around her waist. He reached for something at his belt with his free hand. "I prefer to call it a different side of me."

Sir Ryan smirked. "Nevertheless, you've shown your true self. I have no choice but to stop you. T'is the dungeons for you!"

Link let out a loud "Hah!" then aimed his arm upward and pressed the trigger of his clawshot. It clanged as it gripped onto a point above the ramparts and retracted. Zelda felt herself leave the ground and zip through the air, releasing a squeal that was half fearful and half delighted.

The soldiers gaped as they whooshed over their heads and landed on the wall.

"Well what are you fools waiting for? After him! Don't let him get away!" Sir Ryan shouted.

There was a thundering as dozens of boots pounded up the stairs on either side of them. Link swooped his arm beneath her legs and returned to cradling her. He then stepped onto the ledge.

"Don't scream now."

Then he catapulted over the side. Zelda's breath left her - almost joined by her lunch - as they lurched downward then slammed sharply on one of the town's rooftops. He ran then jumped to another lower roof, then another before he landed on a balcony beside a hefty goron.

"Oi, Link. You here for a visit?"

"Another time," Link replied, without breaking stride. "I'm a tad occupied here."

Link barged into the building, down a flight of wooden stairs, and exiting, arriving in castle town square. A stunning red mare waited for them on the cobbles. Link didn't hesitate to swing them both up and onto her back, slipping his feet in the stirrups. He gripped her flanks with his knees, and reaching around Zelda, snapped the reigns.

Epona neighed and soared down the streets on a direct route to Hyrule field. People jumped out the way as they came charging through.

Zelda buried her face in Link's cloak, hoping that no one would recognize her. Knowing her luck, they were bound to. Who else would Link be carting off in such a ridiculous manner? Certainly not Ashei, nor that Ilia girl, she had more sense than to fall for one of Link's stupid tricks. Sense that Zelda apparently lacked.

They were moments away from escaping castle town. Word mustn't have reached the outer battlements yet for the gates were wide open, the guards unsuspecting. Link kicked Epona's flanks, spurring her faster.

Zelda blinked in astonishment. He was actually going to make it… He was actually going to succeed in this kidnapping heist. It was inconceivable, she was the most protected person in all of Hyrule, it shouldn't have been possible. But it was happening…

She gazed up at Link, wonderingly. He had a huge smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with profound delight. He caught her stare and winked at her.

Her heart hammered erratically in her chest.

Movement flickered in the corner of her eye. Zelda looked over his shoulder to see a group of mounted knights chasing after them. Shouts were delivered and the streets cleared rapidly before them.

"Link…"

"I know," he said, a note of laughter in his voice. "Once we reach the field they'll not stand a chance."

This she knew positively well. Epona had to be one of the fastest and most courageous horses she'd ever had the privilege of knowing. Even burdened with two people on her back she'd been able to keep up with Ganondorf's black stallion as they had chased across the field.

Zelda once again looked back at the knights, noting that some of them were equipped with bows and arrows. They wouldn't dare fire them, though. They couldn't risk injuring her so they were probably reserved for the foul beasts that still roamed the fields.

Sir Ryan called out from behind them. "Close the gates!"

Link leaned forward and as if sensing the urgency in the motion, Epona drew on a spurt of speed and they flew past the gates, hoofs pounding on stone, leaping down two short stairwells before reaching the green turf at the southern Hyrule field.

Link whooped and Epona neighed loudly, thrilled by the run. Zelda smiled despite herself.

The clopping of hooves announced the quick approach of their pursuers.

"To Faron woods!" shouted Link, bracing her tightly against him. "We'll lose them in the trees."

It took an hour of straight running to breach the outskirts of the forest, another hour and the knights that pursued them were effectively thwarted and Zelda was severely lost. She'd been to the woods on many occasions whether out riding or on the hunt, however she'd never been able to memorize it as well as Link. He had a special knack for direction. He could pass a grove for the first time and be able to find it again weeks later without any assistance but for a keen mental map.

Link slowed Epona to a canter, patting her neck and whispering words of endearment to her, promising a pile of apples for her good work. He had thrown back his hood, revealing brown-gold locks of hair, which contrasted brightly against his dark attire.

He must have put a lot of thought into planning this. She wondered where he'd ever gotten the idea from in the first place. He certainly couldn't have come up with it on his own, could he?

It was difficult to imagine Link as a villainous figure. The fear she'd felt for him as he had cornered her in her office hadn't been the same horrifying feeling that Ganondorf instilled in her, nor the repulsive one from Zant. Her fear for Link had been more excitement. He had been full of promise and adventure; it was thrilling.

By this time Zelda's mind had totally cleared of the effects of the smoke and she was able to speak without stammering.

"Where are we going?" She surveyed the woods, looking for a path or any break in the trees. She didn't recognize anything around her and that unsettled her.

Link braced her as Epona hopped over a log. "To my evil lair, of course."

She rolled her eyes. "Really, Link. Are you still going on about that?"

"Ah ah ah, it's Dark Link."

She smiled, batting her lashes, and leaned up close to him. She spoke, breath ghosting across his face. "You'll always be Link to me."

Link fought to keep his composure but inevitably failed. His cheeks took on a rosy tint and he tore his eyes away to veer off into the woods. "Fine."

Zelda grinned widely, and trailed her lips teasingly down his neck. "Good."

He sighed. "You make me into a poor villain."

"Oh silly. It doesn't matter to me how wealthy you are."

Link smirked and squeezed her around the middle. "You devious little witch."

She giggled and nuzzled into his collar as his hand moved up to hug her around her shoulders. All this activity had sufficiently worn her out. It felt like years since she'd had a good rest. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Tell me when we get there."

"I will."

At last she let her eyes close and drifted off into blissful slumber.

* * *

><p>Zelda awoke to the feeling of being laid down on something soft. The rope tying her hands was cut off and fingers massaged lightly into the faint bruises on her wrists. She sighed and fluttered her eyes open.<p>

"Sorry for waking you." Link leaned over, pressing a kiss to her lips.

She would have liked it to last longer, but he quickly pulled away. Lazily she propped herself up on her elbows, eyeing him as he leaned his shoulder on the bedpost, crossing his arms.

Zelda sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Where are we?"

"We're at Ivy Manor, in Faron province."

"Ivy Manor?" she said curiously. "Isn't that the estate you were granted upon your knighthood?"

"Yes," replied Link. "And thanks to my wonderful staff it has been kept clean and proper for me while I've been staying in the castle. I don't normally come out to visit, but there are occasions when the forests beckon to me. Don't worry. They all know about the situation and have taken an oath of silence. If your nuisance knights do discover our hiding spot they'll have not learned it from the servants."

She scoffed. "Of course not, they'll learn about it from the records. It's written under your name, after all."

"Ah, but not many know that I even have my own estate so they'll not think to look through the records. Chances are they'll go to Ordon and search there. It's what I'm counting on."

Zelda smiled. "Touché, good sir." She swept her gaze around the room, taking in the grandeur of it. The walls were painted a bright yellow, coupled with wood brown borders, which matched the furniture scattered about the room. The bed was a large four-poster, spread with a grass green blanket with deeper green swirling designs. It was warm and it was homey, perfectly suited for Hyrule's gallant hero turned villain.

"So now what do we do?"

Link pushed off the bedpost and thrust out a pointed digit at her. "Now, you sleep."

From her place on the bed, Zelda looked up at him incredulously.

"What?" he asked.

Zelda looked at him queerly as if he'd magically transformed into a new subspecies of dodongo. "Go to sleep? You kidnap me, take me from my castle and bring me all the way out here just so that I could sleep?"

He snorted. "Well you weren't doing it there."

"I _have_ been sleeping, as a matter of fact."

Link frowned. "Not properly, and definitely not as long as you should be."

Zelda wrinkled her nose up and sniffed. "Fine, if it will please you."

Link nodded. "It will."

"I'll take a short nap."

He threw his hands up. "No. Zelda I want you to get a fitful rest. I banish you to this chamber until you are energized and fully functional again. And stable."

She gaped at him, moving toward the edge of the bed. "Excuse me! Are you saying I've been in a foul mood lately?"

Link snorted in amusement. "The crabbiest queen in the country."

"Argh! You are the most insufferable, ignoble brute that I've ever met."

He only smiled at her. "I do make a good villain, don't I? I've always felt that there was some darkness inside of me."

Her anger abruptly flushed away as cool amusement took its place. "Ah, of course. That is why you were given the title 'hero' after all."

He laughed. "You think that every little decision I made on my quest to free Hyrule was done with good ethics in mind? Let me see, countless occasions of breaking and entering, there's thievery, I terrorized but that only worked in wolf form, I burned down a house once – but in my defense I don't think anyone was living in it - a whole slew of killing, I'm a mass murderer you know."

"You've defeated monsters who were liable to lay waste to Hyrule itself. That is a deed of valor. And besides, it was in battle, or self defense I hope?" She quirked an inquisitive brow at him.

He shrugged offhandedly. "Some of them." Before she could open her mouth to rebuke him, he cut her off. "And vandalism. I've lost count of how many pots I've smashed to pieces."

Zelda nodded sagely, tapping a pondering finger to her chin. "Ah, the greatest of criminal offenses. My council would have you tossed in the dungeons for that one crime alone. Perhaps even go so far as to see you hanged? The world would be free from fear of you smashing their pots. Your list of criminal activities do know no bounds."

Link grinned down at her wickedly. "And now I can add abduction to that increasingly growing list."

"Beast," she said, hiding a smile.

He laughed. "Don't you know it. Now seriously, get some sleep. I'll have a servant wake you for dinner."

Zelda lay back on the mattress, flinging her arms above her. "Very well, if it will appease you." She shuffled under the covers and allowed Link to tuck her in very motherly-like.

He kissed her softly on the cheek before leaving. "Rest well."

She snuggled into her pillow, clutching her blankets tight around her. Maybe this was what she needed. A break from everything; some time for herself without having to worry about the countless meetings she had to attend and her endless supply of paperwork.

Zelda had nodded off before he even crossed the threshold.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, I was surprised by how much response this received, and its only been a week! I guess lots of people just needed the fluff ^^. **

**Thank you for reviewing: shadowneko003, A True NaZaMi Fan, Catnip101, Generala, Nintendoes Gamer, ShadowQueenMidna, pokemonwhite2, Link'sLily, ultimateCCC, VOID115, undeadVivisector, and Bloodspire!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

They were in for it now.

It didn't matter that not all of them had been there to partake in the capture of Link as he had raised the castle to hysterics – in broad daylight no less - they'd all heard about what had happened. Lord Raleigh had called an urgent meeting in the council room whereupon he summoned the best of the Hyrulean knights to submit to his ranting and restless pacing.

Unsurprisingly he had many bad things to say about Link. Hadrian was among the ones who had found the minister in a pathetic state staggering down the hall from the ballroom. He had good reason to be mad, Link had done an awful thing, yet he couldn't help but understand. Link only sought to do what he thought was best for the Queen. Heaven knows he was the only one who could get away with it.

Hadrian couldn't say that he ever expected Link to have the nerve to pull something like this, though. In hindsight, he should have known something was up at the other man's call of 'that's it', and from the suspiciousness that ensued afterwards. Partially, it was his fault for indirectly giving him the idea, even if it had been unintentional. But he wasn't going to fess up to that. He didn't want in incur Lord Raleigh's wrath.

Lord Raleigh came to a stop next to the table and slammed his fist down, causing some of the more nervous knights to jolt. Hadrian shifted uneasily, trying not to fidget under the glare that was directed at them.

"Are you telling me, Sir Ryan, that you allowed him to escape? You lost him in the woods? Are there none of you here who can track? Do we not have hounds to hunt him down?" the minister spat, enraged.

Eyes turned to Sir Ryan who rubbed the back of his neck, bashfully, his helmet tucked under his arm. "Sir Link was born and raised in the woodlands. He is like a cunning keaton, able to conceal his tracks and find the means to hide his scent. There was a stream further in that he must have crossed many times to fool us, also there were places where he had backtracked. The dogs have been run into the ground trying to locate him. We've been searching all night and well into the morning."

Lord Raleigh made a sound of agitation. "I'm surrounded by incompetent fools!" he shot, stroking his beard.

All at once the door banged open, and they all turned as light footsteps entered the room.

Decked out in casual attire, Ashei waltzed in, unheeding of the nasty glare the minister sent her. She took her place in the semi circle next to Hadrian and another knight. Planting a hand on her hip, she gave them all a coy smile.

"Sorry for being late, yeah. I was at the pub when the message arrived. Got held up by some sleazy man who wanted to get a bit too touchy feely. Had to knock him a good one before I came, yeah."

Dame Ashei was currently the only female knight in Hyrule. Her part in the resistance had opened many doors for her and she had quickly made herself at home in the barracks until Link chose her for knighthood. It was to be noted that Hadrian may have been the first _man_ Link had chosen, but Ashei was the first _person_ to be chosen as a Knight of the new order.

She had a no nonsense attitude about her and delighted in trouncing any knight who mocked her for her gender. On one of these occasions the unfortunate knight at the time so happened to open his mouth in the presence of her majesty, who took the jab at a personal level, obviously still sore at the whole twilight invasion. Instead of Dame Ashei doing the trouncing, Queen Zelda had personally sought to make an example of him, and in the process managed to break three of his bones and litter his arms and legs with angry red punishing welts. They were all used to their Queen being an excellent swordswoman, but she was the monarch and it was expected of her to be formidable. It had been more difficult to wrap their heads around other women being proficient in swordplay as well. Needless to say, not a word had been spoken against warriors of the feminine persuasion since then.

Lord Raleigh glared at her for the rude interruption and cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, you are the Knights of Hyrule, I expected better from you!"

Hadrian felt a pointy elbow jab him in the ribs.

"What's up, yeah?" Ashei said quietly, inclining her head at the minister. "I have no clue what he's talking about."

Wincing, he massaged the smarting area and sighed. "Sir Link is what's up."

She chuckled. "Should have guessed. He's the only one who can drive old Raleigh into a frenzy," she said brightly. "I wonder what he did this time, yeah."

"I'll tell you what he did," Lord Raleigh cut in, eyes blazing. "_Sir_ Link invaded the castle, broke into the Queen's private office, after I specifically banned him from the area, and abducted our devout ruler!"

A pause. Then Ashei's mouth broke into a face-eating smile. "Well about damn time."

The minister looked at her appalled while the knights all tensed. "What are you saying? This is dreadful! It's treasonous, that's what it is!"

Ashei eyed him with thinly veiled amusement. "Wasn't it you who kept on pushing the two of them together? I say they should have run off together a long _long_ time ago."

Lord Raleigh frowned. "They haven't run off with each other…well, I mean they have... And I only do so because it would curtail the rumors of all their acts of public indecency. Heavens know that's all I ever hear at court these days."

One of the other knights, Sir Walter DeVale, cleared his throat. "Pardon my saying, but they're not just rumors, milord. Almost everyone has caught them…in…the act…" He wilted under the firm glare Lord Raleigh was sending him.

"I don't care what they are," the minister hissed. "It's scandalous!"

Ashei smiled, obviously enjoying herself. "Yeah, and most of the court thrives on scandal."

It was true, Hadrian mused. As long as it possessed the notion of romance Hyruleans positively adored scandal, the more scandalous the better, and having royalty involved only added to the appeal. They were actually more likely to _support_ the couple opposing propriety and outright go against anyone who stood in their way.

The minister made a wild gesture. "Sir Link kidnapped her, don't you see the travesty of the act?"

Ashei shrugged. "If it gets the job done, why not, yeah?"

Many of the other knights nodded and murmured agreement. Lord Raleigh, though, was not amused. He drew a tense hand through long dark hair, shoulders abruptly slumping.

He twirled around to look out the window, stroking his short beard. "The assignment the Queen was working on is one of great importance. Hyrule's wellbeing rides on its completion. If a concession cannot be made, or if the Queen is absent for the meeting then the Terminians may see it for the disrespect that it is and the whole alliance is forfeit."

Ashei was silenced. "Well damn, that's not good."

The minister scoffed. "Indeed it is not. In addition I just received a missive earlier this morning. The Terminians wish to speed up the negotiations and demanded that the meeting be held sooner."

Swallowing thickly, Hadrian asked the pressing question. "And when is it to be held?"

Lord Raleigh sighed and rubbed his temples in evident dread. "A week's time."

A curse from Ashei – the most unchivalrous of the knights – and resounding exclamations of shock from the other knights filled the room.

The minister levelled them all with a stern gaze. "Ride hard, Knights of Hyrule. Either the Queen is found, or we lose a potential ally."

* * *

><p>Zelda awoke the next morning to persistent stomach pangs. It took her a moment to realize that Link hadn't woken her for supper – probably hadn't wanted to disturb her sleeping, the dear - and that she was positively starving.<p>

Pulling aside the covers she got up and searched the room. Now, if Link had planned this as well as she assumed he had, there would be…ah! Upon opening a wardrobe she discovered several drawers full of feminine clothing, more than she'd ever be able to wear in a week.

…How long was Link planning to keep her here?

Shrugging, she gathered up a bundle and headed towards the bathroom where a large ornate tub was situated in the center, mounted on four sturdy clawed feet. With a wave of her hand the tub filled with water, another wave saw steam rising as it bubbled softly.

She placed her items on a chair and picked out the womanly lotions she found next to those meant for a man.

She left the door open a crack just in case Link returned and panicked or something at finding her gone, then began to wash.

After her bath she dressed for the day, donning a pretty blue sundress and magically drying her hair. She then padded barefooted out into the hall, determined to find something to eat.

The manor was larger than she thought it would be. She found to her delight that the rest of the interior was just as beautifully decorated as her room had been, displaying soft colored browns and yellows, giving it an overall summery feel.

It was abnormally quiet. Didn't Link say he had servants somewhere around? The estate had come with a full staff and she was relieved to know that he hadn't fired them.

She smiled, recalling back to when she had had to force the manor onto him in order for him to accept it. He had been overwhelmed by the rewards he'd received due to his heroic deeds. Along with his title and new estate, money had been thrust on him as well, so much that he had no idea what to do with it all except to donate to various causes, which only gained him more love from the people. Initially he had outright refused anything, above all, the manor was something he never wanted. He positively hated the idea of having servants at his beck and call, tending to his every need. Eventually he had come around when Zelda had pointed out that they needed to earn their bread somehow. It may have convinced him, but he still didn't like it.

Finding Link proved to be a difficult task. His house was of a newer fashion, not like the older models, which were built with an overall similar architecture and design. Eventually she found him in the lounge, seated on one of the sofas, a book in hand as he ate his breakfast. Thankfully he'd rid himself of his dark clothes in favor of more colorful ones that better suited him. At present he donned a light blue tunic with golden embroidery along the rims, along with white trousers and his brown boots.

She knocked lightly on the wall next to the door and let herself in.

Link raised his head, spotted her, and jumped to his feet. "Zelda! You're awake already?"

She smiled and sauntered in. "I've had the first full night's sleep I've had in a while. I'm well rested…and stable, thank you."

She moved to the sofa and plopped down in the place he'd vacated. Link folded the corner of his page and closed his book, placing it on a side table as he sat down next to her. He grabbed her hands in his. "You certain you don't want to sleep for longer?"

She groaned, tearing her hands out and sinking into the cushion. "Link, I don't need more sleep. I'm tired of sleep. What I need now is some sustenance. And maybe a turn around those lovely gardens I spotted from the window on my way down here."

Spying his plate of heaven-scented food, she pulled it closer, took up his fork and dug in.

Link frowned at her, wrinkling up his nose in consternation. "Help yourself then."

Zelda looked at him with a raised brow. "That's what I'm doing." There was a hint of a smile at her lips and Link crossed his arms, staunchly turning away.

"You can always ring for your own plate to be brought up."

She made a show of savoring his fried cuccoo eggs. "So could you."

He drew a hand through his hair. "Why do I even bother?" He pushed up from the sofa then traversed the span of the room to a chord hanging on the wall. He gave it a sharp tug then waited, all the while glaring at her. Zelda just smiled and carried on eating. After a few minutes there was a knock at the door and a servant appeared. Link spoke to her briefly then returned to the sofa.

He plopped down close to her and Zelda snuggled into his side, still eating. He just couldn't help being near her, could he? Not even when he was pretending to be mad at her.

Zelda licked the fork clean then set aside the empty plate. It hadn't been enough to fill her up, but she'd be sated for the next hour or so.

Leaving the warmth of his side, she stood and patted down her dress. "Alright. So when are we to be off?"

Link looked up at her questioningly. "Be off? Off to where?"

She motioned with her hand. "Back to the castle of course. You've staged this abduction so that I could catch a respite from the arduous labors of running the country. Well, I am rested. I'm ready to return to the castle to continue on with my duties."

There was a sudden shift in his demeanor, one that immediately caught her focus and sent warning signals in her mind. He dipped his chin and sent her a searing grin. "Oh no, my Queen. You're staying right here."

She blinked at him in shock then furrowed her brows in a glare. "Excuse me?"

Link merely threw his arms over the backrest of the sofa, crossed his legs and smirked up at her.

Of all the stubborn men in Hyrule she just had to fall in love with the most stubborn of the lot! "Game's over, Link. Take me back."

"If this is a game, Zelda, then I am its creator. I make the rules and everyone else follows them," he said, eyes glinting. "I'll tell you when you've had enough of a respite. We're not going anywhere unless I say so. Consider this a vacation."

Zelda struggled to find a suitable response, although the mention of a vacation did sound wonderful, despite it being forced.

"We're going to have a lot of fun, you and I," he drawled. "So let's play."

Breathing in deeply to calm herself, Zelda let the air out slowly and looked at him, trying not to let his handsome visage corrupt her. Gingerly, she lowered herself next to him, his arm falling automatically over her shoulder, thumb rubbing the skin idly. She sighed, relenting. "Very well. What would you have us do?"

Link smiled wickedly and Zelda gulped, taking in the pure predatory look of him. He was handsome beyond belief. Not in a rugged way that one would expect of a vagabond, nor did he cut the dashing figure of a knight in shining armor – although he was still very dashing. Link's looks were more poised and angular, like the noble wolf he'd run around Hyrule as.

"First off, we need to establish some rules," said Link, bouncing his leg, fingers drumming a cadence on her arm. "First rule, no magic."

Well that put a significant damper on her mood. Reluctantly she nodded. "Carry on."

"Second, no trying to escape."

At this she gazed at him incredulously. "So you are to do whatever means necessary to be a credible villain, while I am to remain your pliant prisoner? I cannot even attempt to escape?"

Link held up a finger. "Absolutely not."

She leaned back in the sofa, crossing her arms in a huff. "Fine. In return for my compliancy, I have a request to make."

Link peered at her warily as if expecting her to pull a trick. "And what may that be?"

Zelda stared hard at him, showing that she was being absolutely serious. "I will indulge you on this, so long as we return to the castle by evening of the fifth day. You will-"

She squeaked as his large body suddenly swooped over her. He pressed himself against her in a vivid reenactment of last day in the office. Deep blue eyes met wide teal as they stared into one another. He whispered coarsely, nose rubbing along her cheek. "Who are you to make demands of me?"

Zelda stammered, heart beating wildly as she failed to catch her breath. "I – I am your Queen…"

He laughed lowly and met her lips with his own. Zelda was helpless as she succumbed to the kiss, angling her head for better access. She fisted her hands in the front of his tunic, letting out a pleased moan as he pulled her closer, chests meshing together. His left hand trailed over her face, caressing her cheek before sliding along her neck, over her shoulder and down her arm. His fingers tangled in her strap and he gently pulled it down, casually tracing her arm.

Zelda reached her hands up and wound her arms around his neck in a demand for more. She teased the strands of hair at his nape, her arms clenching around him when he took her bottom lip in between his teeth and started sucking.

She sighed at the sensation, a never ceasing torment, yet so blissful. If she could do anything to make this moment last forever she'd do it in a heartbeat.

She barely noticed when her other strap was pulled down, nor when he moved so that one of his knees was on the sofa digging into the side of her hip in a half straddle. He was pushed even more onto her, but that still wasn't enough. With frantic need he took her by the waist and dragged her up, their bodies flushed together, no space left in between.

After a while of heated kissing they were forced to part to catch their breaths.

Zelda, panted, her eyes fluttering close as he kissed along her neck then licked her ear, tongue tracing along the curve until it reached her pointed tip then traveled back down. All the while Zelda could do nothing but relish in the sensation.

His low husky voice penetrated her senses. "Agreed."

She blinked open her eyes, vision hazy as she stared at him in confusion. "Wh-what?"

He laughed and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. "Time to play."

Drawing back he clashed their lips together, his hands running all over her in a quest to explore every inch of her body. They breathed hard through their noses, unwilling to part. Zelda felt herself being laid down as assured fingers found the ties at the back of her dress and undid them with expert ease.

He kissed along her jaw and Zelda threw back her head, granting him better access. The room became saturated with the heady scent of arousal, gaining a heat that had nothing to do with the warming weather.

Her dress split open in the back as Link finished with the ties, then plunged his hand down to stroke the bare skin, earning soft whimpers of contentment. Oh gods...his calloused hands on her felt like heaven. Never stop. She never wanted this to end...

The moment was shattered when a lively voice filled the room.

"Sir Link? I've brought what you've requested."

Zelda squealed and shoved him off of her, yanking up her straps and holding the front of her dress in place. Link quickly grabbed the curve of the backrest to prevent from falling over then righted himself, absently straightening his tunic.

A maid in a simple green frock stood at the door, carrying a silver bowl and wearing the largest smile ever seen on a human face.

The maid seemingly paid no mind to their rumpled states of dress, or to the fact that both of them were in the process of reassembling their composures. Rather, her eyes appeared to twinkle brighter at the sight.

"There was no answer when I knocked," she said lightly, practically bouncing forward, "so I figured you wanted me to come right on in."

Zelda hastily reached her arms back to tie up her dress as Link scooted back on the sofa a respectable distance away from her, smoothing his rumpled hair.

He coughed nervously into his fist. "Very good, Cilla. You may leave it at the table." He gestured to the small side table that held the dirty breakfast dishes.

Cilla cast them a sly smile before crossing the room and placing the bowl down, meticulously arranging it in the very center of the table. She indicated to the finished meal. "Shall I take these with me?"

"Go ahead," said Link, miffed at her obvious stalling.

Despite the mortifying situation, Zelda couldn't help but giggle at the hilarity of it. She stopped quickly once Link sent her a stern look, inwardly though she was still cackling.

At the sight of the bowl her curiosity piqued. "What is that you brought?"

Cilla turned to her and beamed. "Strawberries, you majesty. They're Sir Link's favorite. He always orders them when he comes to visit." She gave her a wink then swaggered to the door and whirled around. "Anything more you need?"

Link groaned and dragged a hand over his face. "No. Go awaaaay."

Cilla curtsied. "As you wish." Leisurely she left the room and very slowly closed the door. Only after they heard that final click did they allow themselves to relax.

Link scooted closer on the sofa and she let him gather her up in his warm embrace, leaning her head against his chest and drumming her fingers on the hard muscle.

"Your servants are very precocious. Do they emulate their master in that regard?" she asked with wry amusement.

She squeaked as his fingers abruptly dug into her sides. "Cheeky little… No, unfortunately Cilla came that way." He snorted. "And the others are no different. They all have their quirks."

Tensed for another attack, Zelda carefully watched her words. "I can see that becoming a bit of a bother in the future." She scrunched her brow in thought. "Why did she show such lack of concern? It was…" at this Zelda blushed deeply, "quite obvious…what we were doing."

"Knowing Cilla, she's probably excited to gossip about it with her friends," he replied, stroking her hair. "When I told them that I was bringing the Queen out for a steamy raunch in the woods this is just what they expected. Don't be surprised if we're interrupted at random. They'll do anything for some juicy gossip."

Her face flushed further and she balked at the implications. "You told them _that_!"

He shrugged. "They were all for it. Over eager I'd say."

Oh, how she'd love to wipe that cocky grin off his face. He may have the power here in the manor – and only because she'd allowed him to have it – but once they were back in the castle she'd make sure he regretted it. All his manipulative scheming, his coerciveness and forceful methods, and those Goddess forsaken attractive blue eyes that she couldn't say no to…

Darn, he was doing it again. Looking at her in that way that made her insides melt and heart glow all at once. Sometimes she thought it seemed as if he wielded his dashing good looks like a weapon. In which case it was super effective…

"Now…" Link purred, plucking a plump red strawberry from the bowl, he held it up to her, grinning like a wolf. "Strawberry?"

* * *

><p>After the entire bowl of strawberries had been devoured with great enthusiasm, Link took Zelda to see the garden.<p>

They were a complete contrast to the gardens at the castle. While hers were all neat and orderly, every bush clipped to perfect shape, the rosebushes pruned, and trees planted in appealing patterns around the grounds, the gardens at Ivy manor were wild and untamed, almost blending with the woods, the walls separating them covered thickly in vines. Up along the exterior of the manor Zelda was given light to the reason of the name. Ivy vines climbed up the walls in streaks of green. She imagined they'd be easy to climb. A pity she had made Link that promise about not escaping.

In her light dress it wasn't hard navigating the garden, she'd traversed worse in full battle regalia, however she let Link help her around anyways. He took her by the hand, pushing brambles and hanging branches out of their path, all the while they spoke of little things. A few times she purposefully let herself trip on a loose stone or fallen branch just so that he would reach out and catch her, his hand lingering around her waist before moving to her lower back and remaining there for the rest of their walk.

There was one area of the garden where a small pond was situated, above which arched a wooden bridge. They stood on it and leaned over the rail, admiring the small colored fish swimming beneath them, their talk never ceasing.

Zelda turned her focus of admiration to him, feeling the adoration swell up inside her. He spoke with great exuberance, gesturing with his hands as he played out some of the antics of the soldiers he trained.

She propped her arms up on the railing and leaned over, watching him with an unwavering gaze.

He spoke so much now. He was not at all like the shy and silent warrior she'd asked for assistance to defeat Ganondorf. Back then he had been sweet and kind. It would have never crossed his mind to try his hand at playing the villain. Back then the world had been light and dark, with few shades in between.

She had to admit, she liked his character as he was now. He was unbearable at times, stubborn and willful, but he was also charming in a wild sort of way. It was no surprise that he'd captured her heart. Zelda loved him as he was, faults and all.

When at last there was a pause in his speech, she leaned up and kissed him.

* * *

><p><strong>So cutesy! *hides face and blushes*<strong>

**I might be slower with updates now that midterm season is back on (never actually ended really). I hope to get the next chapter up soon though. I still need to update my other story too so I'll spread my time between them.**

**Also something to clarify. When Sir Walter said that "everyone has caught them in the act", he doesn't actually mean that people have caught them going at it, rather that they've been caught snogging and feeling each other up (basically everything but having sex, lol). **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: For those waiting for 'Dead inside' I'm still working on it. My sincerest apologies! I've had to rewrite the entire chapter over and over because I was just not satisfied with it. Hopefully I'll have it out soon, but in the meantime I decided to go ahead and update 'Villainous'. **

**Thanks to my many reviewers: ultimateCCC, Nintendoes Gamer, A True NaZaMi Fan, WolfishLink, Lady . Zayriah, Guest, KEN, Mini, Generala, Lilac Gemani, Diva, Bloodspire, Astercia, ShadowQueenMidna, and EllaSwanson, and for everyone who added this to favorite or alert!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong>

Zelda was conscious by the time the first rays of the sun cast blinding shafts of light into the room, creating an orangy tint over the lids of her eyes. Her arms were gently pried off her source of warmth and the bed rose, indicating Link's departure.

That was fine. She cuddled more into the blankets and continued to sleep, chest rising and falling with each shallow breath.

She was exhausted. After last night's activities she wanted nothing but to stay in bed all day.

A creak of the door then soft padding as someone crossed the room, carrying the clean scent of soap and sandalwood. The bed dipped, fingers caressed her face, trailing along the curve of her cheek.

Zelda sighed in bliss.

"Zelda, it's time to get up."

She pretended not to have heard him, but then he gently shook her shoulder and her eyes accidently slipped open. She shut them swiftly afterward, but it was too late. He had caught her in her deceit.

"Come on, we have plans for the day," he said persistently.

Knowing that her ruse had been blown, she groaned and rolled over, facing away from him.

"You wanted me to sleep. Well, I'm sleeping," she murmured, brushing a few twisted strands of hair away from her face then resumed snuggling into the pillow.

How was it that a bed could seem like a cold slab of stone at night, yet in the morning it became the most softest and comfiest thing in the world? In that case she and Link must have done an exceptional job breaking it in. She felt like she was on a fluffy cloud.

A grunt of impatience. "I didn't mean sleep all the time."

She pulled the blankets over her head to ward off the light. "Should have worded yourself better. Goodnight."

"Zelda." A note of irritation had entered his voice.

Zelda brushed him off. "I said goodnight."

"It's morning, not night. Get your hours straight at least."

"Then good morning. Now would you please leave me to sleep in," she said grumpily. She was losing valuable sleep time because of him. He may be the most handsome devil she'd ever laid eyes on, but she wasn't about to jump at his every whim. She could ogle him any day; sleep on the other hand was a rarity.

Link grumbled darkly. "We have things to do today, if you laze around in bed you'll miss everything."

"Well darn, that's just too bad for me."

He didn't appreciate her sarcasm, and that was shown as his hands suddenly gripped the edges of the blanket and yanked it down and off. Zelda reacted instinctively. She shot her hands in front of her to block the light, simultaneously charging them with magic.

Link jolted as sparks flew from her fingers and collided with his arm. He fell back onto the mattress, wincing as he pushed himself up, rubbing his wrist. "Hey! I said no magic."

She sat up, stretching her arms out and yawning widely. "Force of habit. The castle maids never liked it either."

Link moved so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, keeping a good distance away from her. "You are one insufferable little Queen."

"I have a right to be."

Link rolled his eyes. "Apparently. Now get up."

Instead of listening to him, Zelda flopped back down on the bed, uncaring that she was denied her blankets. The room was warming up anyways, and the heat of the sun felt good on her skin.

"Zelda!"

She smiled but didn't say anything. Let silence be her answer.

"Ignoring me won't get me to change my mind."

"Doesn't hurt to try," she mumbled into her arm. "Besides, whose fault is it that I'm this tired? Yours!"

"Oh? And who was it that was doing practically all the work?" he countered a bit smugly. "Me. If anyone, I should be the one still in bed."

Zelda smirked. "You could always join me. Or, I might be inclined to muster up enough energy to continue where we left off last night."

"You're a vixen," said Link in exasperation, pausing, although Zelda thought he might be considering. "How about if I promised you more strawberries."

Almost imperceptibly her ears twitched in interest. Link – the devil – sought to further tempt her.

"With chocolate sauce dip and whipped cream."

She peeked an eye open. "This for breakfast?"

He laughed, a deep-throated tenor that made her insides quiver. "I'm surprised you settle for what the cooks at the castle make for you. With your love of sweets it's amazing that you don't have something like this for breakfast everyday."

That was all it took for her to give in. She held out a hand and Link grasped it and pulled her up into a sitting position. She stretched, back arching in such a way that she knew would heat Link's blood, then swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, her satin nightgown smoothing out to just above her knees.

"Well I can't just let myself go," she replied, as she moved about the room gathering items for a bath. "Cook always say's that I have to watch my weight. It is unbecoming of a Queen to lose control over herself like that."

"Rough," said Link in feigned sympathy.

"That's life," she responded, moving into the bathroom where the tub had already been filled with steaming hot water. Link followed her in and sat on a stool, watching her undress, eyes roving heatedly over her body. The intensity of his gaze sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

"Some of the other royals certainly let themselves go over the years. I've seen portraits of your ancestors. Not all of them can boast a trim figure like you can," he said, leaning on his forearms.

Zelda dipped a foot in the water, testing the temperature, then immersed herself entirely, sighing softly. The water was warm and soothing, bobbing just above the curve of her breasts. She relaxed in it, letting it wash away the tender aches from their intercourse. Link coughed and shifted in his seat, crossing his legs. She held back a smile and began to wash, lathering her hair with scented lotions.

"Of course. Not everyone can exert such impeccable control as I," she said, spreading the suds down her neck and over the curve of her shoulders, taking her time as she appreciated Link's aroused reactions – subtle though they were.

Link shifted uncomfortably and tossed her a sly smile. "I don't know about that. You certainly didn't display any of that esteemed control last night-hey!"

He wiped furiously at his eyes, clearing out the wad of water she had splashed at him.

Zelda laughed and dunked her head.

* * *

><p>They rode out in the sunlight, edging along the tree line as they made their way eastward.<p>

From her position mounted on her horse, a stunning black mare from Link's stables by the name of Dryad, she took full advantage of her unobscured view of Link's dorsal side atop Epona. She could practically see his back muscles rippling through his shirt with every movement he made, every time he tugged on the reins, leaned forward or backward as Epona took the slopes. Her eyes feasted hungrily on his every maneuver.

Her staring must have made him anxious for he twisted around to give her a questioning look. "Is there something the matter, Zelda?"

Zelda thought for a moment, taking the time to flit her eyes over the muscles at work for that small action. "As a matter of fact…there is."

She kicked Dryad's flanks to speed her up a bit and pulled alongside Epona, every other step causing her leg to brush against the red mare's side. For all his battle-hard experience and quick as light reflexes, Link was completely taken by surprise as her hand was brought down on his cheek.

His head snapped to the side, eyes wide in bewilderment. Slowly he turned to level a glare at her smirking face.

"And what," he growled lowly, "may I ask, did I do to warrant that?" He rubbed the blossoming red mark on his cheek with ire.

Her eyes narrowed, smirk gone. "You tied me up! I can't believe you had the impertinence to tied me up!"

He looked confused for a moment before realization hit and he shrugged, smiling. "What sort of villain would I be if I didn't get that part at least right. I seem to be going easy on you as far as villains go. I should have you tied to the bedposts, at my mercy," he said, eyes glinting with mischievous intent. "Not that I need to, you're always more than willing." At her death glare he quickly cleared his throat. "Besides, I couldn't have you trying to get away with magic. Tying you up seemed like the best option."

"Yes, well," said Zelda sharply, gloved hands choking the reins, "not that I could do anything at the time anyways. What was in that blasted smoke?"

"No idea," he said frankly, wholly unconcerned. "I got it as a gift from Barnes in Kakariko. It's a new bomb he created, but instead of doing damage it's meant to slow down your enemies, make them weak and easy to take out. I'll have to give him my thanks and a generous tip the next time I see him."

"I shall have them outlawed as soon as we return to the castle."

Link looked at her aghast. "Is that really wise? Many people use them in defense against the beasts of Hyrule. Would you be able to rest at ease knowing you'd be making easy meals of them? Bokoblins in particular are known to enjoy Hylian flesh."

She sniffed, steering her mare around a cluster of trees. "If they are to be abused then I shall have no choice but to ban them."

"They'll just end up in the black market," Link said plaintively.

She didn't think they'd ever be in that high of a demand, but accepted his point. "Then I shall have to ban your possession of them."

Link threw his head back and laughed. "Hah! You can try."

She shook her head, smiling at him fondly. Of course he was right. No power in the world could prevent Link from doing anything he wanted to do, nor could it keep him from anything he wanted. It took two long years and an endless amount of strife on both their parts to realize that.

Zelda didn't know where they were headed, but from their direction following the morning sun she could guess. This guess was proved correct as they broke through the trees and Link led them down a well-trod path that ended at Lake Hylia.

They moved to the southern banks, somewhat obscured by a formation of large rocks. Link chose a secluded stretch of turf with a couple of thin trees as a place to stop and swung off of Epona's back. He dug into her saddlebags, piling items in his arms.

Zelda was in good spirits as she followed Link's initiative and dismounted. She plucked out an apple from her bag and let Dryad eat off her hand, rubbing circles on her furry cheek.

She really was a good horse. Zelda had been moderately surprised when she'd seen that Ivy manor's stables had been full of mares with not a stallion among them. Link certainly was the ladies man. Or perhaps that was more a show of preference.

Once finished, Zelda left Dryad to roam knowing that Link would have trained her to stay close.

She wandered over to where he was bent, flattening a large square cloth over the grass. He sat on it cross-legged and motioned for her to join him.

Eagerly she lowered herself beside him but then he grabbed her wrist and yanked her across his lap, arms wrapping tightly around her.

"Liiiink!"

He squeezed her shoulders. "Hush, lest you frighten off all the wildlife."

She had a mind to elbow him in the ribs but thought better of it. Hurting him now would limit his ability to please her later. Sprawled over his legs, she shifted to a more comfortable position and looked around irately. "What wildlife? That cucco?"

Link darted his head in the direction of her gaze to see a molting grey bird clucking around on a small island out over the lake. It paid them no heed as it busied itself with digging up the ground in search of grubs.

"Ah. I believe you've just found us our lunch." He began to move her off of him but Zelda held on tightly.

"Don't you dare! Cuccos are known to kill in flocks," she said, panicked. It had been a fear of hers ever since her father had told her of a frightening story when she was young, about a boy who would abuse animals, carrying cuccos above his head, tossing them around, making them carry him through the air, and hitting them with sticks. The story ended with him being pecked to death, skin shorn and shredded.

"If I can get it in one blow it won't have time to call for its flock," said Link, attempting to pry her off.

But her fear was rabid. "I don't feel like eating cooked cucco anyways!"

"Well I do."

"Please, Link." The slight whine in her tone usually worked as well as a pout. Link abruptly stopped his struggling, and sighing, slumped back, letting her have her way. Just like he always did…usually…

"Fine," he grumped, holding her loosely. He grumbled incoherently and then said, "I don't understand it. You eat cuccos all the time."

She smiled secretively. Ashei was right. Link could be such a pushover. "Well I'm usually not there when they're being slaughtered."

"So you're squeamish about death? Have all those hunts been some sort of deceptive ruse to fool your court?" he asked, teasingly.

Zelda shifted uneasily. "Well no, and I have the pelts as proof. You've also seen me slay bulblins and bokoblins before. I am ashamed to say that death and meting out death is a very intricate part of my person."

He tossed her a lazy grin. "As long as it is in battle, or self defense."

Her reply was instant and not roundabout like Link's had been when he'd been faced with that very same question. "It was."

It also ashamed her to know that on certain occasions she even enjoyed the killing. It had the effect of sending a thrill through her, each time she became alive with sensation and motion. The hunt was a sport as much as it was for survival, and slaying the dangerous monsters that roamed her land was a game just as it was a cleansing. It was horrible to her to think of it as such, but that was the verity of the situation.

Link must have noticed her unease for he squeezed her shoulders in a tender show of affection.

"Well then, Lady Death," spoke Link softly, "let me just say that life is also a part of you, giving it and saving it. All women are blessed with the ability to create life, but not many are blessed with the power to heal as you are. You and your light magic can do incredible things. You have the power to destroy and to create." He cast her a small grin. "As for me, the most I can do to save a life is hand over a bottle of red potion. My strength lies in harming others and ending lives."

Her heart went out to him, pounding so wildly it was near bursting in her chest. It astounded her every time he could say these most significant things and make it all sound so trivial, and each time her adoration for him grew.

She hoped he could see the love she conveyed for him through her eyes. Words, it seemed, would never be enough.

Zelda placed a hand on his cheek, brushing her thumb across it softly. "You do save lives. Everyday I either see or hear of something you did that went into saving a life. Saving does not have to mean rescuing from death. It can mean just making another person's life better. Giving them light in their darkness, even if it is only a small sliver."

He gazed down at her, his expression neutral but his eyes were heated.

In an abrupt movement he smashed their lips together and she eagerly responded, both determined to express their ardor in that glorious connection.

Zelda sighed when they finally pulled away. Somehow Link never failed to make her feel more loved than she already was.

He leaned back on his hands and tossed her a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into his deliciously chiseled chest. "So, it's just the cuccos, is it?"

She nodded dazedly. "Just cuccos."

"That's fine," he said. "Good thing I brought gear meant for various tasks."

This time when he nudged her to get off she went willingly. He fetched the package he'd unloaded from Epona's saddle and laid it out before them. Zelda eyed it with keen interest. It was long, wrapped in leather and tied with a black thong. She thought it might be one of those dismantling fishing rods until Link opened it up.

"Bows? Link!" she accused frostily.

"For fishing," he said adroitly, grabbing one of the bows and plucking out a coiled string. He fastened it across both ends of the bow then held it out to her.

Zelda reached past to snatch the other one. "I think I know how to string my own bow."

He pulled back, smiling indulgently. "Of course."

He plucked one of the quivers from the pack. Slinging it over his shoulder he walked over to the edge of the water. From there he braced his feet shoulder-length apart and angled his body. He reached back to draw an arrow then expertly nocked it, aiming the point at the water.

Zelda quickly fastened the string on both nocks, taking a moment to admire the lovely leafwork design along the back of the bow. She took a position further down the bank so that she wouldn't interfere with Link then readied her arrow, latching it to the string and drawing it back. Sighting down the shaft she trained her eyes on the water's surface, waiting for that telltale darkening that signified the movement of aqua life.

If it was necessitated she could remain still for hours in wait for game. Many times patience had won out and she was rewarded with prize catches. The buck whose antlers hung in her dining room at her private hunting lodge had been one such prize. It hadn't been too hard to pick up his trail and track him to a wide-open meadow but then she had had to silently stalk him until he came close enough for a clear shot. It was painful bringing such a magnificent creature down, but also invigorating. The meat had been distributed to many people that day, along with the pelt. She'd only kept the antlers for herself to remind her of the fragility of life and the care she must take to preserve it.

A zip and then a small splash. Link gave a cry of delight soon followed by the sound of sloshing water as he waded out to claim his prize.

Zelda remained still, her level of awareness not extending past the wide section of water in front of her lest she miss her chance.

The rustle of grass as Link sidled up next to her. "No luck, miss sharpshooter? Pity, it seems you did scare off all the wildlife after-"

He was cut off as she released, the arrow piercing the water with a small fwoop. Something shimmering gray floated up, the shaft sticking in the air like a mini javelin.

She grinned. She was about to go retrieve it but Link had already waded out. Yanking up the carcass by the shaft, he scrutinized her catch then plodded back to shore to compare it with his own.

"Mine's bigger..."

"Oh, men and their bloody sizes!" she exclaimed, setting bow and quiver down on the leather wrap before kneeling on the blanket.

"Here, I'll gut them while you start the fire," said Link, grabbing his hunting knife and setting to his task.

Zelda snapped her fingers and a spark of fire ignited above the tips. She swirled her hand around, making it bigger before setting it to hover in front of her, blazing warmly.

Link gave her a downright vicious look and snorted, returning to his gutting. "What was it I said about using magic?"

"You told me to start the fire," she responded, eyes dancing in the firelight. "So I did."

"I meant you to do it the proper way," he said stiffly. "Find wood and kindling then while away for hours rubbing two stones together until I can come help you and show you how it's properly done."

So he wanted her to be dependent did he? Link should really know better. She flashed a hand out in front of her and made to scrutinize her nails. "And chafe my poor delicate hands? I think not. Minister Raleigh would suspect you of abuse and we can't have that."

He mumbled something about her being a cheeky woman. Thankfully she didn't catch the rest of what he said. After he was done he washed his hands in the lake and stabbed the fish on a pair of pointed sticks then plunged them into the ground near the floating flame.

Zelda fluttered her fingers and the fire flared into two rings and proceeded to encircle the fish.

Link looked at her horrified. "What are you doing?"

She blinked at him, her mouth watering at the appetizing aroma of cooked fish. "Speeding up the process."

"No! We do this properly. We cook one side of the fish then turn it over to cook the other side."

"But-"

"You're lucky I don't make you put out your witchcraft and start a fire the right way," he snapped.

Abruptly she shot to her feet, her lips pursed. "Witchcraft, is it?" Turning on her heel she stalked away, blood boiling beneath her skin, along with a small splattering of hurt.

The nerve of him! She knew ever since the Twilight fiasco and Midna's departure that Link had become abnormally sensitive towards magic. It made him uneasy and sometimes it appeared as if he outright despised it. But magic was an intricate part of her, he'd said so himself when he'd spoken of her healing. It was her magic that aided him in the defeat of Ganondorf, her magic that had saved Midna from expiring after Zant's attack. Not all magic was destined to take something away from him. Not like his humanity...not like Midna...

No more than five steps had been taken before her wrist was snagged by a calloused hand as Link pulled her back.

"Wait! Zelda, I didn't mean it!"

She tugged in an attempt to pull free. "Link, let me go."

"No, wait! Please, Zelda, I was out of turn. I shouldn't have said that, it was vicious and rude. I promise it won't happen again."

Zelda paused, anchored in place by Link's firm grip on her wrist. She pulled experimentally only to find that he would not give way. At length she sighed. Really, she was too forgiving for her own good.

She titled her head back to look at his pleading expression, his face filled with remorse. She twisted her hand to intertwine her fingers in his, smiling softly. "You are forgiven. But, I shall hold you to your promise. No more thoughtless comments."

Relief flooded his face as he gripped her hand tighter. "Whatever you wish, your majesty." He brought her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles. "Now, let's see about having lunch."

"Whatever you say, hero," she voiced wryly.

The fish were done when they returned to them. Zelda plucked her stick from the ground, face falling in dismay as she turned it over. "This side is charred…"

Link looked at it then took in her dismal expression and sighed, handing his over. "Here, we'll trade."

"Really? Oh, thank you," she said, beaming. As soon as the exchange was made she bit into it. Resigned, Link ate the charred fish and winced at the added burnt flavor.

They burned the bones once finished and washed their hands in the lake. They then spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around on the blanket. Link had suggested going swimming but Zelda had merely looked at him askance.

"Have you seen what I'm wearing?"

He eyed her up and down and shrugged. "It's a light dress, shouldn't be too hard to swim in."

"It's white, Link! It'll become transparent."

His eyes had taken on that familiar glint and he surreptitiously raked them over her. "And that's a bad thing…?"

She swatted him on the arm. "If we encounter a Zora, or if someone happens to ride by and see us, then yes it is."

Links face then hardened. "No swimming."

Currently they were seated across from each other playing a game of cards. Zelda was greatly enjoying herself. It had been so long since she had the time to engage in something so simple, although annoyance ate at her as she was losing. It used to be that she'd win four out of five rounds against him, but Link must have been playing a lot as of late for now it proved to be the opposite. She wouldn't put it past him to be spending all his free time at Telma's.

A wave of clouds rolled in and blocked out the sun. Wind started to pick up and Zelda shivered at the sudden coldness.

"It's about to rain," said Link, gazing up at the greying skies. "We'd better pack up. The manor is over an hour away. The weather might slow us down a little, but we should be back before nightfall."

Zelda certainly hoped so. She had no desire to be caught up in the dark while it rained. She felt miserable just thinking about it.

Hurriedly Link rewrapped the bows and quivers, stuffing the wound strings in his pocket. Zelda rushed to gather up the blanket and cards. Link whistled for Epona and Dryad and soon they were trudging up the short incline to the path that would take them directly to Faron woods.

It had begun raining by this time. And it was not a gradual process that started with small droplets, then drizzle before pouring down in full shower. The first steps were skipped as the clouds went right to showering.

Zelda huddled beneath Link's cloak after he'd stubbornly insisted she take it, arguing that she was wearing very little compared to him. It had been tucked away in his travel bag, something he kept habitually in Epona's saddlebags. Link had resorted to using their picnic blanket as his own means of coverage, although it did very little to protect him from the downpour.

Their horses ambled up the path at a slow pace. They dismounted when it became too steep to safely ride without risk and led the mares by their tethers. It was hard going, her clothes dripped heavy with water, mud sucked on her boots making each step a challenge.

Link constantly looked over his shoulder to check on her and Zelda would give a strained smile and nod to reassure him. They were almost up the path. Once they reached the forest the trees would shelter them.

Dryad snorted, expressing her dislike of the situation as she clopped wearily along. Zelda patted her nose in sympathy. Once they were home she'd see to it that the mare got a nice brushing down and a pail full of oats.

However, as Dryad took her next step the stones beneath her fell loose and she slipped, losing all traction in the mud. Neighing in terror, she lost her footing and fell over on her flank, sliding down the ridge, hauling Zelda along with her.

Zelda was yanked off her feet and sprawled in the mud, drifting down with the terrified horse. Lightning struck and Dryad neighed in panic.

"Link!"

Zelda snagged a jutting stone and pulled herself up. She dug in her heels and wrapped the reins around her wrist, pulling with all her might. They were close to the ridge and it was steep and far down enough that if Dryad fell over there'd be no saving her.

"Zelda! I'm coming!"

A roar of thunder and Dryad panicked. She tossed her head and scrabbled to get up. Zelda reached to grab her around the neck but was slammed away as she was hit by Dryad's flank. She lost her hold on the reins, the world tilting as she fell backwards. The ground suddenly disappeared beneath her and she plummeted over the ridge. The last thing she heard was a frantic cry from Link before her head hit something hard and darkness consumed her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Couldn't help but add a dash of adventure into the plot. I hope that's okay with everyone ^^.**

**Ah, and there's the sappiness... I attribute that little part to my mushy brain.**

**One thing...don't ever try fishing with bow and arrows. If you're anything like me you'll fail at it. Miserably. And live with the embarrassment of trying for the rest of your lives. **

**On a side note, just to make it clear, it never struck me that Link held any sort of infatuation towards Midna. They had been close as really good friends, but I believe that is the extent of their relationship. I doubt they would have been able to tolerate each other as anything more. Midna always seemed rather rambunctious and she'd need someone who could keep up with her, not roll over at her every command (sorry Link).**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter was only half planned. The first part was mapped out, but the second came from a bit of inspiration from other sources, mainly my beta (who wishes to remain anonymous for some reason. Don't know why, she's great!).**

**Thanks for reviewing: Nintendoes Gamer, Etsy, A True NaZaMi Fan, Lady . Zayriah, Generala, Guest (Oct 31), Ancient . tree, bubblekins, and 11lol11.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

"Oh Goddesses! Zelda I'm so sorry. I should have got to you sooner."

Stomach churning as a wave of nausea overwhelmed her, Zelda was forced to weakly turn away as she emptied the contents of her stomach, acid burning in her throat. She coughed then groaned as steady hands lowered her to rest against a broad damp chest.

"Zelda, look at me."

His voice was so fearful, compelling her to obey. She blink then stared into a shadowed face, rainwater dripping off his hair and trailing in rivulets down his cheeks. It was still raining, but it was like a drone in the background, faded and obscure.

"No concussion. Thank Nayru."

She felt as if she'd been used as a training dummy the way her body sang with ache and from all the stinging cuts littering her face, arms and legs.

She winced as she tried to get up. "How bad is it?"

His voice was soft beside her. "Could be worse. Do you hurt anywhere? Can you tell if anything's broken?"

"I don't think so," she said as she found her balance, Link bracing her arms for support. Eyes widened in sudden realization. "Dryad! Where's Dryad!"

"Safe," he assuaged her. "And due for a good punishment for doing this to you."

"Please don't," she muttered, "it was not her fault."

"She shoved you down the ridge!"

"She was tired and afraid. She was near bolting," Zelda defended rigidly.

Link sighed as they started climbing up the slope. "Fine. I'm just going to have to train her better. A little tumble and a storm never scared Epona, and neither will it scare Dryad by the time I'm through with her."

It looked like the younger mare would be in for some harsh lessons and Zelda felt a shred of sympathy for her. It would be good for her, however, if something like this ever happened again she'd be able to keep her head, which would make her all the more valuable a companion.

Link craned his head, squinting his eyes against the harsh downpour to study the precipice from which she had fallen. "It'll be a steep climb. It's a good thing you only fell halfway, there's more bushes up here that we can grab hold of. Are you up for it?"

Her stomach lurched at the thought, but she solidly nodded her head with grim determination. "I'll manage."

Link evidently wasn't satisfied with her answer and kept hold of her arm. "Are your legs fine? You didn't twist your ankle or anything?"

Really, she tried to convince herself that his worry was endearing, but all she felt was irritation. "I'm standing aren't I?"

"Right," he said and began climbing.

If he were alone Link would have shot up the slope like a lithe squirrel, despite the wet and mud that would allay others. It was no surprise to her that he had drastically decreased his pace for her in order to stay close in case anything else happened. And it was a good thing he did for in the next instance as she reached for a branch to use as a handhold a stab of pain shot through her shoulder and she ended up sliding a foot backward.

Link snagged her elbow and halted her. "Zelda! What's wrong?"

She clenched her teeth willing the pain to dull. "My shoulder …"

His eyes hardened as he nodded in understanding.

Back in the battle against Ganondorf Zelda had used her excellence in archery to help slow the evil king down so that Link could close in and attack. Ganondorf had quickly caught onto their strategy and while sending out his wraiths to attack them, came in behind and slammed the pommel of his sword against her shoulder blade, tearing it out of the socket. At that point he had been close enough for Zelda to take up arrow in hand, imbue it with her light magic, and thrust it in his side, all the while doing her best to ignore the pain. Enraged, Link had swiftly gone in to attack, knocking the evil king from his horse.

Her shoulder hadn't been tended to soon enough and so never did quite heal right, even under the influence of her magic and numerous red potions, it had become weakened and quicker to strain. Like a shattered vase that had been glued back together, it took less force to shatter it again. She had regained her capability to do archery and fight with a blade, using her left arm mostly for balance, but if she ever overexerted herself the pain would return and her arm would become unusable until it healed again.

She must have jarred it during her fall. She wouldn't be able to climb back up, not by herself at least.

Link must have realized this for he swiftly unsheathed his knife and slammed it to the hilt in the ground. He guided her right hand to curl around the grip. "Keep hold of this until I return. There's some rope in Epona's saddlebag. I won't be long."

With that he scurried up the incline. Zelda bit her bottom lip as she watched him go, suddenly very nervous. Twilight had descended and everything was cloaked in ominous shades of grey and orange.

Rain pelted her from above, causing her hand to become slick and slide from its hold on the knife. She clenched her fingers tight around the hilt and flattened herself against the ground, her left arm hanging uselessly beside her. She could do nothing but wait in endless anticipation for Link to return with the rope.

In the distance a wolf howled a strident call. The cadence was carried up by other wolves; singing as they started on the hunt.

She shivered at the sound then shrieked as something large dropped down beside her.

"Relax, Zelda, it's only me."

Heart clamoring in her chest, Zelda glared at him, more upset by their miserable situation than she was at him. "You left me," she said accusingly.

Link unveiled a length of rope, slung over his arm and proceeded to wrap one end around her waist, securing it in a knot. "It was either that or risking you more injury and wasting time climbing up the slow way." He tugged on the rope to make sure it held then grabbed the other end and pulling it experimentally.

Zelda felt the tightening on her waist and realized that the middle of the rope was further up, wrapped around a tree in a crude pulley system.

"Ready when you are," said Link, gripping his end of the rope, prepared to pull.

She took a sharp inhale. "Alright."

He looked at her meaningfully. "Just…be careful, Zelda. Don't strain yourself."

She gave him a weak smile then narrowed her gaze upward. With the rope to assist her as Link gave her that extra boost, climbing with one hand became immensely easier. Link didn't stay in one spot as he pulled her up, instead he kept beside her, using the rope as a line, pulling her up a bit then taking a few steps, pull then climb.

They reached the top and Link hauled her up and over the ledge. He untied the rope and coiled it around his arm then led her gently to where the mares were waiting for them on the lea side of a large slab of rock. Dryad looked positively contrite with her head lowered and snorting softly, while Epona, who had been keeping a stern eye on the younger mare, nickered at the sight of them.

Dryad lifted her head slightly as Zelda came near and butt her nose against her chest apologetically. Zelda smiled and lightly pat her mane. "It's alright, you are forgiven."

Link strode stiffly up to the horse and helped Zelda onto her back. He took the reins firmly in his hands, blue eyes narrowed in a deep frown as they met Dryad's. "If you ever do that again…"

He let it hang and Dryad seemingly understood for she snorted bashfully and pawed a hoof at the ground.

Link pushed his sodden hair out of his eyes and started down the road. He whistled for Epona to follow as he kept hold of Dryad's lead. "It's a good thing Dryad didn't hurt herself or things would be much more complicated." He peered up at the sky, scrutinizing the waning light. "We're not going to make it back to the manor before dark. There's a small town nearby where we can stay until morning."

Zelda sat slumped in the saddle, her right hand holding onto the saddle horn while her left arm was draped across her lap. She felt filthy and cold, her dress was all but ruined and Link's cloak probably fared no better. A town sounded heavenly to her ears. "Which town is it?" If she knew the name of it she could get a better idea of where in Hyrule they were exactly.

"Glenwood. Just short east of Faron woods," Link replied overtly. "We actually passed the road that leads to it on our way to Lake Hylia. I'll have to see if any of their shops are open. We'll require dry clothing, and you need some bandages and a brace for that shoulder of yours."

She wrinkled her nose at that. Casts always made her feel like an invalid.

The overcast thickened, bringing about an early night. They arrived in Glenwood a bedraggled pair. By that time the shops were all closed, and the streets were empty but for a few stragglers and the evening patrol. The guards were of a stern and serious mannerism, but Zelda could tell that they were utterly wretched beneath their cloaks as they wandered the streets, keeping an eye out for unsavory characters.

One pair of guards surveyed them with wary precaution as they passed. Link offered a greeting and hesitantly they greeted him back.

"You gentlemen wouldn't happen to know if there are any vacancies at the local inn?"

One of the soldiers eyed him sternly. His gaze drifted toward Zelda, who ducked her head at the scrutiny and discretely pulled the cloak tighter.

"The Kip'n Dine," said the other soldier, pointing over to the left down a cobbled street lit by two rows of lanterns and the moving lights of other guards on patrol. "Two blocks down, opposite the fairy monument. If you can't find it in the dark the noise will certainly lead you to it. Rowdiest inn this part of Hyrule."

He gave a meaningful look at Zelda then flicked his gaze back to Link, who seemed to understand the message for he tightened his hold on the reigns and gave a stiff nod.

"Many thanks." He then headed down the street toward the inn, eyes darting around scoping out the darkness.

Zelda understood his concern, but there was little to be done. They needed a room for the night and it appeared that this Kip'n Dine was all there was.

They found the inn with little problem. It stood at two stories, with light streaming out of every window on the first floor. Loud laughter and clamoring came from inside, along with rowdy calls, girlish squeals and high pitched giggling.

Link cast her a look over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Sleazy?"

"More likely people getting too drunk on their wine," she responded warily, as she brought up a hand to wipe a few wet strands of hair out of her face.

He laughed. "Ale, Zelda. You won't find such fine drink among the common folk."

There was a stable attached to the side of the building, the stalls were mostly filled, but Link managed to claim two empty ones for Epona and Dryad. He helped her down from Dryad then unsaddled the horses and removed their tack. He then linked her arm in his and headed to the inn.

"We'll see if we can find a stable hand to take care of the mares. I don't know about you, but I for one would like a warm meal and some clean clothes."

Zelda smiled at him, keeping her weak arm steady around her waist. "That must be the most wonderful suggestion you've had all day."

She was suddenly yanked back as Link stopped.

"So you don't think my idea to visit Lake Hylia was a good one?" he asked in a tone of affront.

Zelda realized her error and hurried to assuage him. "Oh no, I didn't mean that. I had a lovely time at the lake, I just meant…" she trailed off when she caught the quirk of his lips and slapped his arm. "Of all the insufferable men! You're teasing me!"

Link merely grinned and laughed. "You have to admit, you make it easy. You take everything so seriously, it's like you're just asking to be made fun of."

"I most certainly am not!" she retorted and snapped her gaze away. Her face colored a bright shade of pink, which only made Link laugh louder. Damn, she really did make it easy for him.

They entered the inn, the warm air from heated bodies in the common room instantly driving away the chill. Link took them to the front desk in a small anteroom where a skinny attendant sat on the other side, filing his nails, nose wrinkled up as if a bad odor clung to the air.

He took one look at them and sighed, returning to his nails. "Eloping?"

Zelda flushed while Link merely blinked then gave a bashful smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Link!" She slapped his arm. "We are not eloping!"

He rubbed at the smarting spot on his arm, a light seeming to dawn in his eyes. "Ah, the Lady's right. I am remiss. We've already eloped two years ago. My apologies for such an unsightly display of forgetfulness." He caught her hand before she could deliver another smack, then stared meaningfully at the attendant. "But, for whoever comes here asking questions about us, the answer is no."

The man stared at them dully. "To eloping?"

"To everything."

The man snorted and waved his hand. "Right. I never saw you, and never will. It's the same procedure for everybody. Believe me, this happens often around here. Now are you here for food or lodgings?"

"Both," grumbled Zelda, snatching her hand away. Her stomach grumbled as she detected something savory emanating from the kitchens.

The man reached under his desk and produced two keys then opened a logbook. "Two rooms for the night, and dinner?"

Link furrowed his brow and pushed one of the keys back. "One room."

The attendant raised a brow, looked at them, and rolled his eyes, jotting down in his book. "One room, and two dinner meals. Milk comes free with the meal, but any alcohol has to be paid separate with an extra charge if you pay in the morning."

Link leaned an arm on the desk. "What are the chances of having a bath brought up?"

The man glanced at the two of them, taking in their dirty appearance and the muddy footprints they'd tracked into the room. He sighed. "I'll make sure it's done. I'll even add in some complementary outfits."

Link smiled, pleased, and moved away. "Good man." He snatched up the key and dropped a purse full of rupees at the desk. Placing a hand on Zelda's lower back, they turned and started up the stairs.

The man's eyes bulged at the amount and he spluttered, utterly bewildered. "Sir – this is-"

Link raised a dismissive hand. "That's for the mess. Oh, and someone needs to see to our horses."

There was more spluttering, quickly followed by a "yes sir!" before the hasty shuffling of footsteps could be heard.

Their room ended up being the one furthest down the hall. Link pushed the key into the hole and twisted, tumblers clicking. Opening the door with a flourish, he waited for Zelda to enter first before following and shutting it behind him.

Zelda stood awkwardly in the center of the room, unwilling to touch anything lest she sully it. Link, however, pulled over a chair from the corner and sat her down on it. He then brushed aside her cloak and tugged down her sleeve.

She sighed. "Link, it's fine – ouch!"

He lessened the pressure of his fingers as they prodded her flesh for any abnormalities and gave her a quelling look. "I can see that."

Snatching her right hand he moved it to flatten over her shoulder and held it there insistently. "Now heal yourself."

Zelda stuck out her bottom lip and averted her head. "You used to be so kind and gentle…" she said with a forlorn air about her. Her hand warmed as she began the healing process, repairing the damaged muscle fibers and adding strength to the joint.

Link leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Well, that was _before_ you fell in love with me."

She hitched her uninjured shoulder in a half shrug. "I still _liked_ you."

He laughed, sitting back on his heels he tossed her a cocky grin. "Obviously you very much prefer me this way."

Couldn't argue with that. Shy Link had been cute and all a fluster around her. Her emotions towards him didn't stem above that of close fondness. He had stood out in court like a keaton in a kennel, so nervous that he could hardly form a coherent sentence. If anything, though, he was good at adapting, and after a little coaching from his male peers he had gained confidence and turned into an advanced socialite. He was by no means debonair, as his personality tended to sway more towards cordial seriousness, but he no longer experienced those awkward moments. That had been when he'd first showed an avid interest in her, and as they were spending a good deal of time together already, he had ample opportunities to pursue that interest. Which led to current Link, the playfully charming, but serious when need to be, Link.

How different he had become…

Shy Link had been able to move her heart with his acts of kindness. Current Link could make it soar with just a simple glance.

Sometimes, though, she thought it would be nice to have the Shy Link back. He was much easier to deal with and always jumped to obey her like a little puppy. He had never questioned her orders even when they were the silliest requests. This Link seemed all about doing his utmost to ruffle her feathers.

There was a knock on the door. Zelda covertly pulled up her sleeve and draped the cloak back in place as Link got up and went to open it. In the doorway stood the attendant from before, carrying a bundle of folded clothes.

He was being much more pleasant, even going so far as to give them a slight nod. "Here are your garments, sir, ma'am. The latest in Hyrulean fashion. The baths are accessible from downstairs, separate rooms for women and men."

"That's sounds wonderful, thank you," she said, standing and crossing the room.

The man hesitated and jerked his head, as if he was unused to receiving thanks of any sort. He thrust out his chest importantly and bid them to follow. "Right this way then."

An hour later saw Zelda clean and dressed in warm dry clothing, sitting at a booth in the common room while waiting for Link to return with their meals.

It was a tad stifling being surrounded by so many warm bodies. Every single surface and table had been claimed. It was only because of Link's generous payment that they had managed to secure a table in the first place, the attendant having graciously rolled a pair of unconscious men off their chairs to pile against the wall. Link had looked on in amusement, Zelda had been aghast.

"Happens all the time," the attendant had grunted, piling the empty mugs on the dangerously tilting tray he held aloft and wiping down the surface. "Won't remember a thing in the morning. The swines can't even hold their own liquor. Why my own grandmother can drink half these men in the room right under the table, in a single night at that."

They were told that they'd have to order at the counter since the serving girls would most likely be too preoccupied by attentive intoxicated men to get around to them. Link had told her to stay put and had gone to brave the masses.

That had been about eight minutes ago. It was a madhouse in here. She considered telling Link, once he returned, that they should take their food up to their bedroom and dine there.

She raised her head to see if she could catch sight of him. The bar was only thirty paces away, yet her view was obstructed by numerous hulking bodies. Tall as Link had become there were many men here that could easily dwarf him.

She stiffened suddenly as she sensed herself being watched. Automatically her eyes swept to a nearby table where a group of men seemed to have noticed that she was alone and were all turned to stare at her. Uneasily, she shifted in her seat, pretending not to have seen them and shot her focus straight ahead, suddenly wishing for Link's cloak.

From the corner of her visions she saw one of the men get up and make his way over. He stepped in front of her, filling her vision and Zelda was forced to look up out of politeness. The man smiled what he thought must have been a winning smirk and then plunked down in Link's seat.

The Queen in disguise held herself with calm regality as she looked inquiringly at the man, inside though she was a mess of nerves. "Yes?"

The man stared at her then let out a boisterous laugh, which only caused her further agitation. He slapped a hand down on the table. "I haven't even asked for anything yet and you're agreeing to it."

"That was framed as a question," she input, slightly perturbed. She peered over his shoulder, silently urging a brown-blonde head to come into view as Link hurried back to her.

She had only ever visited Telma's bar and that was when it was closed to the public and reserved for private use. This crowded hubbub was unlike anything she had ever experienced, it was so different from court, everyone seemed so informal here, she was uncertain how to act. What should she do?

The man entwined his hands and bent forward on his elbows. "Oh ho! Fancy talk. You must be from Castle Town, there's the only place they talk like you do. What's a pretty thing like you doing all the way out in these backwater parts?"

He was making small talk. That wasn't so bad. Perhaps she could engage him in an enlightening conversation. After all, Glenwood was a small town, one she had not visited before. Perhaps she could gain some insight as to how it fared.

Pleasantly she smiled at him. "I am on vacation, actually," she responded with slight enthusiasm. She wanted to press some questions to him but at that moment the other men from the group arrived, and began hovering around her. Like guay closing in for a meal… And there, her nerves had returned.

"She's probably looking for some real meat," said one of the men, bracing his hand on the backrest of her chair. As discreetly as she could, Zelda leaned slightly away from him. "I've met some of them from Castle Town. All gaudy, too delicate and soft. A real man has callouses on his hands and a beard on his chin."

She frowned imperceptibly. And the grace of humility, she mentally added.

The latter barb appeared to have been made at the first man who only laughed it off. "I'll grow one out eventually. Hey, what are we all standing around for? Let's order some good ale for the chick."

This was received with cheers from the other three men. One of them waved a hand in the air and called out: "Yo, Dana! Give us a round over here."

The girl named Dana, wrinkled her nose in evident distaste but whirled around in the direction of the bar anyways.

To her abject dismay the drinks arrived quicker than Link and their meals did - Dana hurrying to do her job and leave - and Zelda was faced with the four men pressuring her to down a large tankard of what looked to be frothing yellow chu jelly, although less viscous.

"Go on," said the first man, who she learned was named Callan. "You've never had anything until you've had McTaggart's finest ale. Best thing you'll ever taste, guaranteed."

A bead of sweat dribbled down her neck, soaking into the fabric of her dress. She stared at the sloshing liquid, froth foaming along the rim, and nodded. "Alright…" Bringing it to her lips she tilted it up, already beginning the process of magicking the liquid away, only pretending to drink it.

She brought it down, licking her lips for effect. The men stared fixatedly at her and one of them poured more into her cup. "Not bad for a city chick. Your cup's gotta stay full though, them's the rules."

Zelda clutched the handle of the tankard planting a strained smile on her face. "So, what are all your occupations?"

She decided to get right down to it. She was aware that the village of Glenwood mostly prided itself on its forestry and woodwork, but it would be nice to hear of the economical situation firsthand from its residents. If they had any major complaints she could do something about it.

Once she opened up discussion there was no break to their talk, the topics segueing to wilder and wilder subjects, mostly self-centered, confirming her initial evaluation of the group. It mattered little, she mused, as long as they were no longer so focused on her. Plus she was getting some major insight - mostly through joking complaints - to the way their village ran.

The whole time she 'sipped' at her ale like tea. Pretending to consume meager amounts in order to please them, yet not consuming so much that they had to constantly refill her tankard. She felt bad wasting the ale as it was.

A caustic voice pierced her senses, causing her heart to flutter. "Zelda?"

Past the hovering men, Link came tearing through the last of the crowd to stand looming over the table, tray of food in hand. A profound relief filled her being at the sight of him and she greeted him brightly. "Link! I see you took your time."

Link cast his eyes over the four intruders, all of whom were looking at him with various expressions of mocking disbelief.

The man named Callan jerked his thumb, glancing at her. "You're not with this guy, are you? Seriously?"

She flinched back as the one leaning over her muttered softly in her ear. "Zelda…that's a pretty name."

"Get away from her!" Link slammed the tray down and swiftly grabbed the man's wrist. Twisting, he yanked him aside and stepped in front of Zelda.

Some of the nearby patrons turned to look, attracted by the disturbance. A few of them returned to their drinks, dismissing the scene as a normal occurence, while others continued to watch.

Zelda touched Link's arm, a silent warning. "Link."

"Zelda, tell me you didn't drink that."

She winced and sent him an apologetic smile. "Well…"

His lips pressed together tightly. "That's not good…"

"Hey you!" The man that Link had thrown got up with the help of his companions, and they all shot angry glares at him. Link hadn't even dropped into fighting stance. He stood rigid before her, eyes blazing as he narrowed them down at the men.

"You can't just waltz in here and do whatever you like," Callan snarled, drawing close to tower over Link. "The chick was fine with us."

They were attracting more attention and Zelda tried to be as obscure as possible as more people stared at them. A server saw what was happening and ran off, hopefully to get the landlord.

Taller in stature Callan may be, but Link was made high by his poise alone.

He grew annoyed at Link's silence.

Grunting, he reached his hands out at Link to shove him. "What a quavering little rabbit. Get out of here and let some real men- argh!"

Before he could so much as lay a finger on him, Link had grabbed his wrist and arm behind the elbow and swung him around, slamming him against the wall. People shot up from their seats, cries of shock escalating as they drew back not wanting to get involved with the scene.

Link pushed Callan's arm, further bending it and causing a small groan to escape from him. He leaned in close and whispered something into his ear. The man quaked and quickly nodded before Link let him go with a small shove.

A voice bellowed above the ruckus and people parted to let the landlord through. He took in the scene, mustache bristling with anger that such a thing had gone on in his establishment. "You two, what are you doing? How dare you disturb my guests! If you need to brawl take it outside, otherwise this is a respectable inn! You shall behave like you belong in it or be sent to the sty with the pigs!"

Callan angrily swiped away a trail of blood welling at his chin, sustained when he had hit the wall. With one last lingering glare at Link he stalked off, his companions following in his wake.

The landlord grunted and went back to wiping the cup in his hand. The chattering resumed as things quieted down and soon all returned to normal. Link stomped over to his chair and pulled it out, falling into it with a heavy plunk.

Tenderly, she rubbed her brow with her forefinger and thumb. She supposed that could have been worse. Was this really normal for a pub?

She raised her eyes and opened her mouth, intending to thank Link for his timely interference, but something in his demeanor halted her.

His brows were pinched, a frown marring his face, form still tensed. He was being unnaturally quiet as he roughly tugged one of the plates toward him and began eating. Zelda tried to make out what he could be thinking but his face was one of neutrality and indiscernible. Huffing, she grabbed her plate and forced herself to start eating as well, suddenly not feeling at all hungry for it.

After a moment of tensed silence, feeling the pressure of his gaze drill into her, she looked up and snapped at him. "What!"

He peered at her as if expecting some aversive reaction out of her. It was clear something was bothering him as he finally spoke softly. "Do you…feel any different?"

Her eyebrows shot up. Where was this coming from? "No… Why do you ask?"

He continued looking at her intensely, eyes flitting over her face before scrutinizing the rest of the visible parts of her. "You drank that ale. Didn't you see them put that powder in it?"

It had been slight, but there was no way someone with keen eyes like hers could have missed it as one of the men had discretely tipped a vial of powder into her tankard during a refill.

She frowned, indignant, and hissed back. "Of course I did. Even if I hadn't, I've been taught to perform magical scans over whatever food I'm to eat."

"But you drank it."

"I only said that I did because those men were listening," she revealed, stabbing her potatoes viciously. "I refused to allow a single drop to pass my lips. The smell alone was enough to turn my stomach, I wasn't going to drink any of that."

Silence. Then, "They could have been assassins."

She slammed down her fork and folded her arms tightly in front of her. "I just told you I had scanned it for any dangerous elements. And it wasn't a poison, it was a suppressant powder," she hissed quietly then gave an uncharacteristic sneer. "Much like the one used in your smoke bomb."

"So they were going to use coercion and drag you off and do, we all know what, to you." His voice growled menacingly with the strain of keeping it down.

She narrowed her eyes critically. A brown wisp of hair fell out of its place behind her ear and she crammed it back forcefully. "Do you not listen? They were not going to 'drag me off' because I was not consuming their suppressant. I had a handle on things. It was only meant to speed up my inebriation, which obviously failed."

Really, any harm that could have come out of it had been averted, so why was he getting so worked up?

Link tore into his pork savagely. "Why didn't you send them away?"

"What is this? An interrogation?"

He pointed his fork at her. "If that is what you deem to call it."

Abruptly she shoved away from the table and stood.

He groaned and smacked his pork down on his plate. "Zelda, you can't just walk away whenever you are upset."

She slammed back down and pointedly looked at him with a glare full of ice. "I'm a nicer person than you, Link. That is why I didn't send them away."

"You need to be meaner then."

"And you think that would have shoed them off? You think they would have listened?"

Silence pervaded.

"I shouldn't have left you alone," he said after a while.

Zelda still had half her plate left but she was done with eating. She was done with this entire vacation. Come morning she would demand Link take her back to the castle, or at least let her borrow Dryad and go there herself.

Link was glaring at the table, boring holes into it with the heat of his gaze. He pushed away suddenly and stood. "Let's just…go to bed…"

When he opened his mouth to say more she swiftly snapped at him. "Silence!" she hissed. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Link snapped his jaw shut and stiffly turned on his heels, clearing a path through the merrymakers until they reached the back hall and staircase that would lead them up to their room.

Once in their room and Link had the door closed and locked behind them, Zelda tore off her dress, leaving her in a simple white shift, and crawled into bed, moving to the very end and facing the wall. There was the sound of fabric rustling then Link too clambered under the blankets, facing away from her.

A silent ambience fell upon them, only disrupted by the hum of voices from the common room. Zelda tensed as Link shifted and accidentally bumped into her back before pulling away. She moved closer to the wall until she was nearly pressed up against it. Link shifted but didn't say anything.

Sleep was hard to come by that night. With anger coursing through her along with irritation at Link's mistrustfulness of her capabilities, she was kept awake for hours. It seemed that Link was also having difficulties, as he moved around a lot. In such a small bed it was hard not to be aware of his every movement, every slight shifting on the bed or tug at the blankets. Could he just not stay still?! She was almost tempted to snap at him, but then that would mean talking to him and doing that was liable to make her even more angry than she was now, meaning even less sleep to be had.

Eventually though there was another shift of the mattress as Link slid closer. She felt the light touch of his hand on her side, slightly hesitant.

She stiffened. "Don't."

Without a word he pulled away and Zelda could feel the frigid cold left in his absence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Uh oh. Things are going downhill for our protagonists. In my opinion Zelda's being unreasonable, but it fits her character so I suppose it will have to do. **

**Any suggestions, comments, complaints? Parts you liked or disliked? Feel free to review and give your opinion!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Got carried away with this chapter, lol. Remember this is all lighthearted, no seriousness, but it does have a smidgeon of ridiculousness ^^**

**Thanks for reviewing: ultimateCCC, Generala, Ancient . tree, Guest (nov 6), Lady . Zayriah, Nintendoes Gamer, Guest (nov 7), SoftCadence, 11lol11, the reviewer, pokemonwhite2, A Shadow's Lament, randomishdude, A True NaZaMi Fan, Death Waltz, Astercia, Christine, Bloodspire, Guest (nov 20), and Trottingham-sama!**

**Wow, so this has become more popular in two months than my main story has in over half a year. I think that might say something about my writing...or maybe just the storyline in general, lol. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>

The next morning when she awoke it was to cold silence. She rolled over and noted with a tinge of disappointment Link's empty space on the bed. Sighing she faced the ceiling and threw an arm over her head, staring blankly.

Her anger at Link had all but completely faded while she slept, giving her leave to think rationally and with a clear mind about the previous night's events. Guilt welled up within her as she thought about all she had said and done. Although Link had been a complete irrational idiot, there was no denying that she too had played a part in fueling their argument.

She knew Link to be stubborn. She should have done what she normally did and let it blow over, allow him to think that his rebuking was working then discard the whole thing right after he'd calmed down. But Link had been grilling her with so many questions; it _had_ been practically an interrogation. It showed that he lacked faith in her, that he thought her incapable of taking care of herself, that she was naïve and ignorant.

She frowned up at the ceiling then squeezed her eyes shut. Pulling the blankets aside, she rolled off the bed. She moved towards the basin and washed her face then went to get changed. The dress she'd worn to the lake had been washed and pressed, the tears it had sustained were neatly patched up with unnoticeable stitches. She pulled it on and folded the clothes she'd borrowed into a tidy pile on the chair. Lastly she ran a comb through her hair and deemed herself presentable.

Her thoughts once more returned to their argument. No, she was wrong. It wasn't that he lacked faith in her. He had been worried for her, and she had reacted defensively. For all she knew he'd taken that to mean that she didn't need nor want his protection, for him to be there for her.

She'd find him and apologize, that's what she'd do. And if he had any sense at all in that devilishly attractive body of his he'd apologize to her as well. After all, it was not completely her fault.

She headed down the stairs and entered the common room where a few people were up and about. Some ate their meals serenely while reading the morning paper, others groaned and grumbled, rubbing their aching heads as they set off to work.

Zelda cast a quick glance around for Link, frowning when she didn't spot him.

"Ma'am."

A server came up to her, nodding respectfully. "A gentleman by the name of Link told me to relay to you to go on ahead and eat your breakfast, he's just off to the market and will be back soon."

"Ah…thank you," she said, mind whirring in confusion.

The server nodded then went back to clearing dishes.

Zelda took a seat at one of the tables and was swiftly served breakfast. She ate languidly, wondering what Link needed at the market. And why had he not waited to take her with him? The impetuous little…

She sighed. Of course he wouldn't have wanted to ask her to go to the market with him, she'd been a complete icicle to him the night before. She'd done a most effective job of scaring him off.

When Link didn't return after breakfast Zelda got up, determined to look for him herself. First, however, she checked on the mare's. They neighed softy at her approach and she scratched their chins endearingly, moving from Dryad to Epona. She nodded to the stable hand, who was in the process of brushing down a brown gelding, then ventured outside.

The blue sky arched in a brilliant daze above her. Having chased away the storm from the night, the sun shone blindingly down from its high throne, lighting the world in sparkling colors.

The streets, which had been all but abandoned the night before, now bustled with activity. A carpenter and his crew slaved away on a new building down the street. From an alley a dog barked and toddlers laughed as they chased it. Further on, a vendor was calling out to passerby's as he advertised his wares.

Zelda started down the street, skirting the construction site, she drifted to where the most activity presided at the center of the village.

Heavy footfalls padded behind her and she slowed and moved to the side to allow them to pass. When they didn't pass and instead halted beside her she looked up to see the four men from last night carrying themselves awkwardly. One man had his hat clutched in his hands and was twisting it with reserve.

"Er - uh – miss," said the one named Callan, the evident spokesman.

Muscles tensing she responded cordially. "Yes?"

Rather than mocking her as he had done last night he ducked his head, his face flaming brightly. "Er – we…we came to apologize…to you…" he muttered, a void replacing the vast confidence he had exhibited from before.

Zelda cocked her head, staring at them in shocked confusion. For a moment she was trapped in indecision. Should she run or stay and hear what they had to say…?

Finally one of the men crumpled to his knees. "We didn't know! We're sorry! We didn't know that you were the great fairy queen!"

Her mind blanked. She felt her jaw drop and took a step back. "What…?"

The other men imitated the first and fell to the ground and groveled. "Please highness! Oh great one! How were we supposed to know that you were the queen of fairies! And we almost tainted your purity!"

"Oh the shame!" wailed another.

From around her people were beginning to stare, pausing in curiosity at the sight. A heated blush rose to her cheeks, lighting the tips of her ears a dark shade of red. "I – uh…"

"Your guardian told us how important it was that you remain pure and virginal," said the first man. "We only saw your beauty and because of that we tainted you with temptation. We nearly sapped the life right out of you. We were only looking to show you a good time. We would have never forced you! Please spare us, we're only mere mortal men."

A shadow fell across her face at the mention of her so called 'guardian'. "He said that, did he…" Link, the blasted idiot! Oh, he would soon get his.

Seeking to escape the situation as quickly as possible –people were beginning to blatantly stare -, Zelda hastily bade them all to rise. It wasn't difficult reverting to her Queenly persona, standing with poise and regality befitting one of royal status.

She blessed them all with a terse smile. "I hear your words and forgive you. Go now...," she said then added hastily. "And do not speak of this to anyone."

Graciously, the men got up and bowed.

"Oh thank you," simpered Callan. "Thank you your majesticness."

With a roll of her eyes she waved them off with some measure of annoyance. "Just go."

The men then turned tail and sprinted off, eager to obey. Zelda looked after them for a while then ducked her head down at the people staring. Soon though they went on with their business, the scene all but forgotten.

Zelda's attention was suddenly drawn by a snicker from a shaded alley. Upon looking over she saw Link emerge, arms folded and bearing the largest of smiles. "Well then, fairy queen, shall we be off?"

Zelda rounded on him, infused with anger and humiliation. "You! By the sacred realm, what did you tell them to make them believe that blatant lie!?"

He shrugged and said offhandedly, "A little fear inducement and a little bit of trickery goes a long way. Plus some lore about an ancient superstition. There's a reason they have fairy monuments at the end of every street," he explained. "Supposedly on occasion the great fairy wanders among us pathetic little mortals as a beautiful woman. An innocent virgin but at the same time a seductive temptress…"

She rolled her eyes. "Link, you are impossible!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him along down the street. "Queen of fairies, indeed."

"Hey, I've met the great fairy," he said, allowing himself to be pulled along. "She's as innocent and tempting as they come."

"I didn't mean that I do not believe in her, it is just that…me? The fairy Queen?" she scoffed. "I doubt I look anything like her."

Link smiled idly. "No, you don't. You cannot compare with her beauty." Indignation flared within her before Link hastily continued. "And she cannot compare to yours. You are both very distinctly beautiful."

Anger diminished, she leaned into him. "It all depends what type of woman you prefer then, hmm?"

He nodded. "Definitely her." His comment was rewarded by a sharp smack on the arm. He laughed teasingly. "I was joking. You are well aware I only have eyes for you."

Zelda laughed but then her demeanor fell as she realized how comfortable they were being with each other when they were supposed to be mad. As if joining her in her thoughts, Link began to shift awkwardly on his feet, a habit for whenever he was nervous. He averted his gaze, although she could see that his attention was still focused solely on her as if waiting for her to react, to snap at him.

She took a deep breath and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, for yesterday," she said, and his eyes quickly snapped to hers. "I don't want to be mad at you anymore."

His mouth tugged into a kind smile as he grasped her hands firmly. "I don't want to be mad either."

"And I don't want this to ruin our vacation," she added hesitantly.

He chuckled. "It won't." Her breath escaped her in a gasp as he then tugged her to him, his arms coming around her.

She closed her eyes and leaned into the hug. It felt so good, engulfed in his warm embrace she could feel the firmness of him, the hardness of his chest and abdomen beneath her fingers as she ran her hands up his front and grasped at his tunic.

"I knew you'd cave," he breathed lightly in her ear.

Zelda wrinkled her nose, frowning. "Oh please. You know you were about to cave first," she said, breathing in his scent. "You always do."

"That's because I love you so much," he replied warmly. "And because this certain little Queen has a temper and an army at her convenient disposal."

She tensed her arms around his neck and narrowed her eyes. "Link."

"Hmm?"

"Don't ruin the moment."

He chuckled and Zelda couldn't help but smile. For a time they stood there in the middle of the street, embracing. Passerby's gave them curious glances, but paid them little heed. Apparently the attendant was right in saying that eloping was common in this town. The villagers acted almost indifferent to their loving display, as if such things happened quite often.

At length Link pulled away and took her hand. "Well, while we're here we might as well take a tour."

Zelda immediately perked up. A tour meant wandering around the village, and wandering around would eventually lead them to the market, which meant shopping! Did Link even realize this trap he had sprung?

Eyes brightening, she eagerly tugged at his arm. "Yes let's."

Time to stimulate the economy.

Link took her everywhere, accessing a basic layout of the village from somewhere in the back of his mind, he was able to find all the popular attractions. They first visited a small museum where there was a display of the hero of time era. The museum was virtually empty, everyone in the village having grown long bored of it, but for a few history fanatics.

As they walked down the halls and viewed the displays, Zelda was particularly captivated by one of the paintings, where an astonishing rendition of the hero of old stared back at her. The hero wore his green hero's garb, sword drawn and poised to attack. It featured him in that last battle against the Gerudo King in the form of a monstrous pig, about to deal the final blow.

Next to this painting was another of that same hero, this time in a beautiful glade in the woods playing a small blue instrument. His features were relaxed, eyes totally at peace as fairy lights floated around him.

Zelda gazed at the hero's face, took a peek at her current hero, looked back at the painting then peeked again. Other than a few minor differences in the hair coloring and overall facial shape they looked astonishingly alike. Now if only there was a painting of the past hero shirtless then she could begin to draw more thorough comparisons.

Link noticed her evaluation and smiled wolfishly. "He cuts quite the dapper figure, doesn't he?"

She raised an eyebrow at this and nodded in agreement. "I suppose he does."

"Must have been a ladies man in his day," Link went on and Zelda was at once all too aware of the heat of him at her back. "I imagine the women would have been tripping over their skirts to get at him. Who could possibly resist that handsome devil?"

He winced as she whirled around and poked him hard in the chest. "You only say that because you are almost his exact likeness."

He lowered his head and waggled his eyebrows. "And do you not think me verily handsome."

She turned away then looked at him sidelong, eyes sweeping over him in an exaggerated appraisal. "Verily indeed," she admitted, feeling her cheeks tinting a light rose.

Link stepped closer, forcing her to crane her head up at him. "Thereby," Link continued lowly, "All things considered, we are therefore able to assume that the hero of time must also have been very handsome."

Sighing, she rolled her eyes and moved down toward the next painting. "I never knew you to be so narcissistic."

Link chuckled and followed along until they reached the section with the sages. Upon finding a painting of the sage of light Zelda once again stopped and then looked back at him.

"Do I really look like her?"

Link winked. "Distinctive beauties, love."

Zelda bent forward over the red rope to further scrutinize the figure. She straightened and tapped a finger to her chin. "Well there are similarities to be had," she said. "But it seems that our features have darkened over time. Both the hero of time and my ancestor possess light colored hair and paler skin."

"That is just our souls becoming more corrupt over time," said Link. "Enough that it has started reflecting outward."

Once again Zelda rolled her eyes. "Perhaps for you, given your newfound nefarious tendencies, but not I. I ascertain you that were I corrupt I would not be able to wield my light magic."

"Oh," said Link, raising a brow. "One does not have to be evil to be corrupt." His eyes glinted mischievously. "I've seen you at court remember? The way you order your subjects around is nothing less than depraved."

She frowned. "That's because those nobles seem to know nothing but how to nag me over the most frivolous things. Paltry disputes and innocuous concerns can be dealt with on their own or by lesser authorities. Instead they choose to come to me and waste my time attending to them."

"So they deserved it that time you refused to cancel your croquet event and forced the nobility to play outside while it poured?" Link shook his head chidingly and tutted. "Depraved."

"Yes, well," Zelda said, clearing her throat. "I'd thought they could use a good soak."

"I'm certain they appreciated it."

Zelda smiled at the memory. They certainly hadn't, but more satisfying than that was that they had all resolutely kept away from her a week after to show her just how displeased they were.

"I, for one, quite enjoyed the event."

Curiously, Zelda looked up at him as he was eyeing the painting then glanced down and gave her one of his searing gazes. "You do look lovely when drenched."

Zelda flushed a bright red. He did have a way of ruffling her feathers.

Suddenly her hand was taken as Link shot down another section, eyes bright with excitement. "Come, Zelda. We have not yet looked at the mask collection."

Once finished with the museum Link led her to a vendor where they purchased candied apples to eat while looking around the market. Zelda's eyes were wide as she took in all the items on display, remarking over glittering jewelry and various accessories. At one point Link was forced to wait outside as she tried on a number of dresses she found at a tailor's shop. She barely ever had an opportunity like this since usually the tailors would come to her and give her a basic description or picture of what her outfits would look like as they pinned materials around her. This way she could pick and choose which styles she liked before she had even bought them.

In the end she decided on a teal blue sleeveless dress with two slits that ran up along her thighs, beneath which she wore a pair of white shorts matched with a sash around her waist.

She stepped out in her new outfit and at once Link was riveted.

She smiled and turned to pay the vendor. The vendor gave her a bag in which to place her old dress and she thanked him kindly then they headed off once more.

"One dress," muttered Link abjectly. "All that time spent waiting and you only buy one dress."

She patted his arm before saying teasingly. "If you'd like I can return and buy another."

"No!" was his quick reply. He squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand through his hair. "We're not going back so I can spend another hour of waiting just so that you _might_ buy one other dress."

Zelda smiled and leaned into his side, enjoying the feeling of his arm around her waist as they walked. So far the day was turning out to be very enjoyable.

A bell rang and then the doors to the building up ahead were shoved open and children streamed out, running, laughing and being wild.

Zelda smiled as the horde ran down the streets, dodging soldiers, villagers and the like. They must have just gotten out of school and were determined to forget all that knowledge they had acquired by playing until sunset.

Link scowled and lifted her aside as a particularly rowdy bunch of boys barreled past, yelling and joking with each other without any heed to all the adults around them. Link set her down but kept his hands at her waist.

"Vile beasts," he muttered darkly, left hand twitching as if he was about to go for his sword. "Beware, Zelda, they may appear sweet and innocent, but inside there's something dark waiting to break through."

She pursed her lips in a confused frown. "I had thought you liked children." She remembered back during her imprisonment how determined he'd been to save those children from Ordon. Even as a wolf she had been able to detect his worry.

"Ah, you mean the beasts of Ordon," he said with repulse, although it was vastly overshadowed by the soft tenderness in his voice. "Once you're around them long enough they're easy to tame. Bribery, promises, and roughhousing are what tempt them."

She smiled, recalling her first trip to Ordon where she had witnessed firsthand Link's roughhousing with the children. He'd been shouted at numerous times by their parents for riling them up.

Goodness, but she did miss the small village. It must have been a few months since she'd last been to Ordon. Perhaps another visit was in order after she had completed her affairs with the Terminians.

Suddenly loud screaming rent the air. First one, then taken up by a number of several individuals, all shouting and crying out in terror.

Link shot his head up and at once took off at a sprint, Zelda following close behind. Low growling could be heard among the screams spurring them to hasten.

Link and Zelda burst into a scene of pandemonium. The area had been hastily cleared as the soldiers herded the villagers away and barred their spears at a snarling grey wolfos. It circled and ducked around a fairy monument as it was attacked with spears.

Zelda's eyes widened at the sight of it. It was larger than any she'd ever seen before, baring fangs as long as her forearms. It snarled and snapped at the nearest soldier, who backed up after thrusting his spear at the creature's head.

There was a zing of metal and Zelda turned to see Link had drawn his sword. Cursing herself for being ill-prepared, Zelda quickly looked around to see if there was anything that she could use. Link, as if detecting the range of her thoughts, pulled out his hunting dagger and tossed it towards her. She quickly snatched it from the air.

"Help the villagers, I'll try to distract it!" called Link.

Zelda nodded and he shot off, darting past the soldiers and running towards the beast. She took a scan of the surroundings, carts toppled over, people hiding behind crates and boxes for shelter, covering their heads and quavering. At once she ran to them.

"Come, you must get to safety," she said hurriedly to a pair of vendors.

The vendors merely shook harder. "We can't! That thing will see us!"

"This is no place to hide!" she shot, frustrated. "You must get indoors!"

All of the sudden there was another shriek then a wailing. Zelda swerved around to see yet another wolfos had appeared and was stalking towards two children backed against a wall. The older child placed herself in front of her brother, blocking him from the wolfos. The wolfos snapped its jaws and prowled ever closer.

Zelda looked around. Link and the soldiers were still occupied with the first wolfos, they didn't know there was another. Upon spotting the wolfos the vendors cried out and bolted from behind their carts, running to their homes.

Zelda tightened her grip on the dagger and rushed at it. Just as the wolfos reared on its hind legs and began to draw its paw back to slash at the children Zelda skidded in, slicing the dagger along the wolfos' snout as she did.

The wolfos howled and recoiled before snarling, lips pulled back and baring its long fangs at her. Zelda stood firm in front of the children, her eyes never leaving that of the wolfos'.

"Children, run," she ordered.

The girl grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him into a desperate sprint. The wolfos made to go after them but Zelda swiftly put herself in its path, dagger upraised.

The wolfos raised its hackles before feinting to the side. Zelda cursed as she fell for it and the wolfos darted behind her, skidding around, it charged at her, jaws wide open. Zelda quickly brought the dagger up as it tackled her, pinning her to the ground. She made a slash at its bare throat but it leapt off and once again turned to face her.

Zelda shot to her feet and held her dagger toward the beast. The wolfos lowered its head, ready to launch at her. Suddenly it let out a yelp and reared back. Zelda saw a group of soldiers behind it, having seen the ruckus they'd come to help. One of them raises a bloodied spear and prepared to attack once more.

The wolfos snapped its jaws and then shot at her, claws outstretched ready to tear into her. Zelda ducked and then rolled behind it. She shot up and tossed the dagger aside. Jumping onto the creature's back she leapt into the air.

She turned mid flight, lighting her hands with magic, and forming a bow and arrow. She pulled the arrow back and then released. The arrow zoomed forward, before impaling the wolfos directly between the eyes.

The wolfos dropped to the ground, blood trickling from its forehead down its snout as the light arrow disappeared.

Flipping midair, Zelda landed in a crouch then got up to assess the creature. One of the soldiers hesitantly came up to it and prodded it with his spear.

"That one's dead," he declared, pushing his visor up and wiping his brow.

She approached them, eyeing the wolfos warily. "Why would a wolfos enter the village?" To her knowledge they kept to the woods mostly, avoiding any populated areas.

The soldier looked up at her, frowning. "This pack has been prowling around the village for days now, stealing livestock and frightening the people," he explained. "As you can see, they're larger than most. They must have become overconfident and decided to risk attacking the village directly. We've killed some of them off, but never the alphas. Looks like they wanted revenge for their pack mates."

Zelda looked up. "Is this the alpha?"

The soldier plodded closer and looked the wolfos over. "Looks like it's the alpha female. She's the second largest in the pack."

Slowly she nodded.

Her ears pricked at the sound of a rushed set of footsteps. Link bounded toward her and she was slammed into his hard body as he snatched her up in his arms. Quickly, she grabbed onto his shoulders to stabilize herself.

"You were magnificent!" he said into her hair as he buried his head into her neck.

Zelda smiled and wrapped her arms around his head. "It was only a wolfos."

Link snorted. "Only a wolfos, she says." He set her down.

Four wolfos bodies in total could be seen dead on the ground. Two had been slain by Link, the other by the Glenwood soldiers. People had started to creep out of their houses, staring wide-eyed at the dead beasts.

A man spotted Link and Zelda and pointed at them. "Look, it's the ones who saved us from the wolfos!"

All at once people raised their voices in a raucous cheer. Link looked down at Zelda and shrugged, giving a hopeless grin.

Zelda sighed as she looked over the crowd of faces. "It would have been nice to keep a low profile…"

From behind them one of the soldiers snapped his visor up and whined. "Man! No one ever acknowledges us."

Link spun around, hair breezing against his face. "Men, you have my thanks. Without your assistance the lovely Lady and I would have been completely overwhelmed. You've done an excellent job protecting the village."

The soldier then scuffed his feet abashedly while the others cheered. The one who had assisted Zelda with her wolfos came up to them, hand outstretched. "I would have the names of such valiant warriors."

Link grasped the hand and shook it firmly. "The name's Shad."

Zelda withheld her chuckle. Perhaps it was because she already knew a Shad, but whenever someone mentioned that name she unconsciously pictured a nerdy looking man with glasses and kept hair. She tried to picture Link with glasses and had to bite her lip and look away.

The soldier blinked and peered at Link. "Haven't I…seen you somewhere before?"

Swiftly, Zelda decided to step in and distracted them by tugging on Link's arm. "Come on _Shad_. You can make the acquaintance of these fine gentlemen later. Take me back to the inn. I need to wash this blood off of me."

Link turned away and said over his shoulder, "Perhaps another time then."

The soldier nodded. "Certainly." Turning he called to his men, ordering them about removing the wolfos bodies and keeping the villagers out of the way.

Once they were far down the street and out of hearing range Zelda found she could no longer hold back her laughter. "_Shad_?" she gasped between giggles.

Link faced forward and scowled, ignoring the people calling to them cheerily as they passed. "It was the first name that came to mind. That was close, he almost recognized me, and I'm surprised that no one has recognized you. Amazing how people appear so different in different contexts."

Yes, without her crown and regal attire she must look very much like an ordinary citizen. Then again, her people probably would have never thought she'd do something like this.

She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, smiling through her fingertips.

Link glared at her. "Zelda…" he said in warning.

Her eyes shone with mirth as she looked at him. "You didn't want to introduce yourself as Dark Link?"

Abruptly she was yanked by the waist and pulled into a darkened alley where Link bore down on her. He kissed her with a passion and she groaned before pulling away.

"You've grown fond of the name?" asked Link, pressing her close against the wall as he pushed against her. "I thought you only wanted to call me Link."

"Link..." she gasped as he planted kisses along her neck. "We need...to wash."

"Later," he murmured against her throat, creating a lovely vibration on her skin, which she couldn't help but moan at. "Busy now..."

She smiled and let herself be swept along by the pleasure. It was a little while later as things were becoming more heated that she managed to convince Link to take her back to the inn to continue in a more private setting. Eagerly he hastened them to their room where he locked the door and she placed a silencing charm over the room. They were neither seen nor heard of for the next few hours.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A little Hyrule Warriors inspired I think. I should have used a king dodongo ^^**

**Very fast paced. I'm a bit iffy about this chapter, so tell me what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Meh, I caved. There's some lemony stuff at the end, but nothing too terribly explicit.****

**One small thing, I changed Sir Bryant's name to Sir Ryan, because I realized that I had already used the name Bryant in another story, lol.**

**Thanks for reviewing: Generala, Guest (Nov 22), Bloodspire, 11lol11, Reader314, InLoveWithLink, Twokeys, A True NaZaMi Fan, Death Waltz, SoftCadence, Ancient . tree, Astercia, Trottingham-sama, and Bison DayCare!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7:<strong>

Sir Hadrian was at a loss. They had literally searched high and low, afield and yonder, overturned brick and stone, and still they searched unsuccessfully. Lord Raleigh was counting on them – Hyrule was counting on them – to complete their mission. They had four more days to carry it out, they were growing pressed with every tick of the clock, and the lack of results was demoralizing.

Even Ashei was out of ideas. They had scoured all of Link's regular haunts, just in case he had fooled them with his direction. They had split up to search places where he knew the people well. Zoras Domain, Kakariko, Snowpeak, and Lake Hylia were being investigated thoroughly. He and his fraction of knights had been assigned Ordon, Link's home village.

It was a pleasant place with pleasant people. He'd been there before only once about a year back, and from that single visit he had gotten a good overall impression of the place. It was very remote, a flat glade in the middle of the woods, surrounded by forestry, which only added a damper on their morale. So much woodland to search through... Also the people of Ordon were excessively loyal to Link, which meant they could be hiding him with no intention of giving him away.

It was a complex situation because the villagers could be lying to them and they wouldn't suspect a thing, and if they did force a search it would imply that they didn't believe the villagers and that they thought them untrustworthy and they might take offense to that. Hadrian had taken great pains to organize the search carefully, announcing it as a safety measure. He had told the villagers that Link had gone rogue, and played it out as if a dark spirit had possessed his body and they were simply to detain him then bring him back to the castle for exorcising.

It went against all his values to lie, Sir Link would be highly ashamed of him, it violated the Knight's Code of Honor, it was sacrilege! Nonetheless, it was necessary. That way they could go through the houses without permanently sullying the Ordonian's image of the Knights of Hyrule.

However it had all been for nothing. They'd looked in every nook and cranny of the village and surrounding woodland and found nothing. Not even a single trace of him. Link hadn't been to Ordon in weeks.

Link's home was a tree house just outside the village border, a lookout of sorts. Hadrian had stayed there that single visit; back then it had slapped him in the face with how humble Link's origins really were. It was a sobering thought, that their Champion was not privileged among them. That he was…ordinary. As ordinary as a hero chosen by the Goddesses could be, that is.

He stood on the landing of Link's tree house pondering the situation. Where would Link go? He must have had some place prepared, some hideaway to take the Queen. He wouldn't make her majesty brave the wilderness, survive in the outdoors with him…would he?

He could hear shouting as Ashei yelled at a fellow knight for some reason or another. She was always quick to call on their stupidity, and this man must have really done something _ingenious_ to get her so worked up.

Hadrian tensed as he heard the rustling of leaves and then something fell out of the tree and plunked a foot away from him. Hadrian had his sword halfway out before he saw that it was only a young woman.

Slowly she turned and faced him, gifting him with a nymph-like smile.

He stared…then blinked.

She had a cherub face, framed by a curling pixie cut, with bright green eyes as the centerpiece. Her clothes were those of a peasant, but they were not at all plain or unattractive, and he noted that she was missing any sort of footwear.

She smiled and posed, putting her hands behind her and leaning against the wooden planks of Link's home.

"Sir Hadrian, was it?"

He remembered her face from before, although he couldn't recall her name. Link might have introduced her at one point, but it must have been in passing, otherwise he couldn't have forgotten.

"Yes," he said after a pause. "Forgive me, but…"

Sensing his trouble, she responded. "I'm Ilia, a friend of Link's. We grew up together."

His attention peaked. Someone who knew Link from the cradle had to know him well. "Would you happen to know where he would run off to with… as he is now?"

She looked him squarely in the eyes then laughed. "He's not you know. Possessed, that is."

He coughed and glanced at her sidelong. "What makes you say that?"

Pushing off the wall, she dropped over the side of the trunk and scurried down the ladder. From the ground she stuck her hands on her hips, gazing up at him. "I'm not as gullible as the rest of the village. I knew you were lying right from the start." She turned, twisting her head over her shoulder so she could still see him. "I won't tell anyone, if you're wondering. Buuuuut…" She whirled around and planted a sunny smile on her face. "Come to my house for dinner tonight. That's the only condition for my silence." She made a zipping motion over her mouth and Hadrian thought it looked incredibly childlike coming from her.

She spun around, jogging toward the village. "It's the biggest house, next to the ranch gates. Don't be late!" she called out before disappearing down the lane.

A soft breeze filled the glade as Hadrian stared after her.

He blinked, bewildered. "What…just happened?" Was this where Link got his boldness from?

"I'll tell you what happened," a sly voice rang out from below.

Passing through the trees were Dame Ashei, Sir Walter, and another Knight, Sir Leonard. Ashei marched into the clearing, hands poised on her hips as she leered up at him.

"Well well well, yeah," she said impishly. "Rescue mission turned romantic rendezvous, I see."

Sir Leonard stepped forward and stomped his heel into the ground. "So…you gave up our assignment for a pretty face, huh? You told her the truth about Link, that he's not in fact possessed." He jabbed an accusing finger at him. "You're not supposed to fall for a pretty face! This goes against all our teachings as Knights of Hyrule. Sir Link would be ashamed of you! You never see him flagging at the whims of a woman."

Ashei crossed her arms and scoffed. "Yeah, just the Queen."

"The Queen's different, she's our monarch," snapped Leonard. "You don't listen to her and you are dead. D. E. A. D! She'd tie the noose herself."

"Don't go on a riot, Sir Leonard," said Walter, calmly. "It is only a dinner. Besides, I don't think Sir Link is here."

Hadrian snapped his gaze to him. "What makes you say that?"

Walter shrugged. "Call it a hunch, or…" he unearthed a folded piece of white paper from behind his back, holding it up between two fingers. "This missive just arrived by courier, from Shad back at the castle. He's heard of our plight and sent this to provide us with some information that might prove useful."

They all waited for Walter to carry on. The man turned the paper over and perused it. "It appears we've been wasting our time in the wrong section of the forest," he muttered to himself. "Ivy manor, northeast Faron woods."

Hadrian jumped down the ladder and came to huddle around the letter with the others.

"Link owns an estate?" cried Leonard, shocked.

Ashei looked over the writing and nodded. "It appears so, yeah. Trust Shad to research something as vague as this. I didn't even know he had any property, yeah." Then she added with a jerk of her head, "Besides that tree thing."

Hadrian held the letter tense in his hand. This was it, this was their last chance…

"So," Walter prompted after a cursory silence. "Do we set out?"

He stared at the letter pondering long and hard, then folded it, tucking it neatly away in his pouch. "We stay the night in Ordon. Be ready to leave in the morning."

Ashei grinned broadly and saluted. "Yessir! And have fun with your lady friend."

Leonard shot him a disapproving glance, while Walter shook his head in mirth.

Sir Hadrian ignored all that as he went to prepare for dinner.

* * *

><p>As the day drew to a close and evening set in, Link and Zelda finally headed downstairs, after hours of 'special alone time' followed by quick baths, only to be greeted by a raucous applause upon stepping into the common room.<p>

The room was crowded with what appeared to be everyone in the village, soldiers, vendors, Callan and his crew, everyone calling and cheering to them.

Zelda was well used to scenes such as this, given her position as Queen, but never before had she be welcomed simply for a reason other than her status. She smiled and stepped into the room, suppressing her automatic urge to wave.

"Ugh, I think I'll pass on dinner tonight," said Link, slipping back out into the hall. Zelda quickly grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't," she said, yanking him back into the room. Link had never been fond of his popularity as a hero, and even under disguise it appeared he was still being shoved onto a pedestal.

Zelda, for one, didn't mind at all since for once they got to share that same pedestal, whereas as Queen and Hero they'd each had their own and it was always uncertain which stood higher than the other. Yes, this was much nicer.

They were immediately pulled in, and Zelda mingled easily with the masses. Everyone seemed to approach them at once, all wanting to talk with them or buy them drinks, which at once uplifted Link's mood. His mood was only further improved when a group of children came up to him, wanting him to describe the fight in full detail. They then participated in helping Link reenact the fight against the wolfos, the children all playing the part of the evil wolfos and Link fought them off.

Soon they were all rolling on the ground, Link pretending to groan in pain as he was jumped on from all sides by tiny figures as the children laughed and growled at him, clinging to his arms and torso. The people watching cheered or taunted him, laughing all the while.

Zelda watched the mock battle, eyes shimmering in amusement as Link was steadily being taken down by the miniature beasts. Around her the villagers spoke incessantly and it was becoming difficult to keep track of all they were saying as they consistently tried to speak above each other.

Callan and his boys, Zelda found, were much more pleasant when not on the prowl. More than once she found herself laughing and smiling at their jokes and cheering along with them as Link begged for mercy from the tiny savages.

In the end, Link was saved as the children's attention was stolen as a flautist began playing on the stage near the hearth. Feigning exhaustion, he trudged up to the seat that had been saved for him next to Zelda and slumped against the table, his head buried in his arms, hair falling in disarray.

Zelda smiled and patted him on the back, taking a sip of her deku tea.

People began to drift off, returning to their own circles as they had their dinners.

Callan stood from his spot next to her, chuckling at the sight of a defeated Link, obviously having let bygones be bygones. He winked slyly at her, "See you around, your majesty."

Zelda's heart stuttered before she remembered. He still thought her the Fairy Queen.

She smiled lightly at him, amusement shone in her face. "You as well."

Callan grinned widely. "Always a pleasure." Then left, followed by the rest of his crew.

She continued patting Link's back but drew away as he sat up and fixed his hair, slanting her a winning grin. "They're not so bad once they've got some stupidity knocked out of them," he said, referring to Callan and the others.

Zelda hummed. "Indeed." She appraised him with laughing eyes. "Had enough for the day, oh great hero? I find it very disconcerting how you're able to take down a pack of wolfos, however when faced with a few mere children you are easily overcome," she said, leaning forward. "Should I be worried?"

Link scowled and thumped the table with a fist. "Vilest of beasts. Didn't I tell you? Children can be brutal at the best of times, demonic at the worst."

It took all she had to hold back her laughter. "So if they ever decide to band together and take over Hyrule, I won't be able to count on you to protect the castle?"

"Great Din! If they ever decided to ban together there'd be no hope for us," said Link, looking truly terrified. "Fortunately, they're too savage to think in such way's, so let's keep it hush and not give them any ideas."

Zelda nodded conspirationally. "Very well. Anything for the safety of Hyrule."

A plate of food was suddenly placed down in front of her, and another in front of Link, accompanied by two glasses and a bottle of wine. The innkeeper smiled down at them as he unstoppered the wine and poured them their drinks.

"On the house," he said brightly. "Don't know how many people would have been hurt if you two had not been here."

Zelda was about to protest before Link took her hand and squeezed it. Once the innkeeper left Link explained. "Let the man show his gratitude. If he couldn't then it would become one of his greatest regrets in life."

She stared at him as Link looked away, suddenly morose. From under the table she squeezed his hand back. "You speak from experience, don't you."

He glanced sidelong at her, a small smile on his lips. "The Hero's Shade… He taught me all the tricks to sword fighting and then just vanished after that last lesson. I didn't even get to say a thank you."

She scooted her chair closer so that she could lean against him, offering him some small comfort. "I'm sure he knows you appreciate it."

"Yeah," said Link softly, his free hand lazily threading through her hair. "It was sometimes uncanny how well he could read me."

They ate their meal in silence, leaning against each other all the while. The common room slowly began to clear out as people left for home, anticipating another day of work ahead of them.

A little while later, Link and Zelda moved from their table to a spot on the rug close to the hearth where they drank tea and spoke of frivolous things. The tavern was empty now but for a few lingering patrons and the server, Dana, who was cleaning the tables.

Seeing that her cup was empty, Link took it from her and got up. "Here, I'll get you some more."

"Alright," she responded as Link trod off.

The innkeeper and the attendant were sitting at one of the booths near the front, drinking and eating their meals now that there were less people to serve. Link was stopped as the innkeeper called him over and pulled him into a conversation.

Zelda smiled and went back to staring at the fire, absorbing the heat, warm against her skin.

She paid little attention to the men's talk, although her pointed ears did occasionally twitch whenever Link's voice rose up. It was days like this that she wished could last forever.

She became lulled in the comforts, reclining against the side of one of the sofas, she allowed her eyes to slip shut. They opened, however, at the sound of rushed footsteps and the feel of Link's fingers as he grabbed onto her wrists and pulled her up.

She gazed at him confused, his face no longer a relaxed calmness, but hardened with severity, his lips thinning as he dragged her along behind him.

She hurried to keep up. "Link? What's going on?"

He didn't respond as they darted into the hallway, making for the stairs. He cussed as they heard the distinct sound of a door opening, and went for the nearest room. Opening the door, he shoved her in then followed after into the cramped space.

"Zelda, lock it," he hissed.

Trying to maneuver around him, she did so at once, using her magic to push the tumblers into place as a low click sounded. She then turned to face Link. "Now tell me, what's going…on…?"

It only occurred to her then how very closely they were pressed up against each other. The room offered little space to move around and by the musty smell and the items pressing against her side she was able to deduce that they were in a closet full of cleaning supplies.

Link looked down at her and she could see how his blue eyes flashed in the darkness with sudden feralness. "Well now," he spoke lowly, almost huskily. "Isn't this the most cliché scenario we've ever been in." He leaned down until their faces were almost touching, pushing his body against her so fully she could feel every inch of him through their clothing. "You, me, trapped in a broom closet…"

She leveled him a steely glare, not knowing whether or not he could see it from his angle. "And why is it that we are here in the first place?"

He busied himself with layering kisses down her cheek. She squirmed and tried to push away, wanting to maintain her seriousness, but she was effectively as he put it, trapped.

He murmured as he brushed his lips against her collarbone, pulling the hem of her dress down to expose the skin, eliciting a startled gasp from her. "Hyrulean Knights," he muttered, distractedly. "Outside…looking for us… Sir Ryan is among them."

One of his hands snaked down her side and grasped at her thigh, moving it to the side so he could fit his hips in between her legs, parting them further and straining her dress. He pushed a leg against her center and she could not help the cry that escaped her lips.

"Ah!"

Link swiftly swooped down and kissed her, absorbing her moans into his mouth as he began to grind against that sacred spot. "Hush, Zelda," he said smiling, speaking with his lips against hers, a trace of amusement to his tone. "They'll hear you."

Zelda shuddered and tried to ignore all the feelings that Link provoked from her body, but it was impossible. She could only cling to him and moan breathlessly, it was a trial to even think with what he was doing to her.

"As-as if…this is all m-my fault…" she stammered, biting down viciously on her bottom lip as a he brushed up against a rather pleasurable spot that would have had her squealing were they in bed.

Link's hands were all over her, squeezing her thighs, rubbing along her sides and brushing through her hair. She was in ecstasy, and for a moment it didn't matter that they were in a broom cupboard at an inn with people not twenty feet away from the door on the other side. Nothing existed but her and Link and all the delightful little things he was doing to her.

But then it all stopped as Link froze. He covered her mouth with a hand just as she was about to whimper from frustration, but then she heard it. Those voices, so close at hand. Sir Ryan was talking to the innkeeper as they entered the hall.

"You're sure you haven't seen anyone of their description?" he asked, both annoyed and angry.

The innkeeper merely grunted. "We get a lot of visitor around here. Hard to keep track of every new face after a while."

"Well try to remember harder then," hissed Ryan.

The innkeeper hummed for a moment in thought, before he snapped his fingers. "Aha! I remember now. They're that couple who came here to elope!"

Zelda gripped Link's arms tightly as they tensed around her. She could practically hear Ryan's tone thicken with nausea.

"She- He- They what?!"

The innkeeper responded brightly. "Yes, a couple just as you described came in about three weeks ago wanting to marry and quickly leave for Termina. Such a pleasant pair they were."

As he said this, Link relaxed his hold. Nosing her hair softly, Zelda shivered as his breath hit her ear.

Ryan growled in irritation. "I meant recently, you fool! Within the past few days, have you seen either of them?"

"Nope, can't say I have," replied the innkeeper.

Sir Ryan became silent a moment. "They could always be in disguise. I'll have my men search the rooms."

"That is an invasion of privacy!"

"I have a warrant from the minister Raleigh himself, enabling my team to search any place we believe that Link may be hiding," shot Ryan. "I'm afraid this is above your clients' petty privacy."

The innkeeper grumbled for a bit before blustering. "Very well. But they won't be happy about this."

"I assure you, neither am I," said Ryan, footsteps fading down the hall after the innkeeper as he and his men were led up the stairs.

Link and Zelda stayed frozen in place, before Link suddenly resumed his earlier attentions. Zelda pushed against his biceps, trying to move him away so she could get to the door.

"Link!" she hissed. "This is not the time." She then tensed, withholding a groan as he rubbed against that pleasurable spot once more.

He whispered breathily in her ear, "It's over anyways. They'll soon find our packs in our room then they'll know we're here." He dug his hands into her hips. "Might as well enjoy ourselves while we can."

She shuddered as he then proceeded to bite the tip of her ear, nibbling on it and flitting his tongue over it. She slumped against his chest, unable to move, unable to hold herself up at this point. Then it hit. She shattered.

She keened as an immense flood of pleasure swept through her system. Link kept on grinding as she was assaulted by the feeling of bliss. Soon though it died down and she lay listlessly in his arms, reveling in the aftermath. Slowly he stopped his movements and bent forward to kiss her cheek.

"Worth it?" he asked after a short while.

She sighed softly, battling with herself. Should she deny it and be mocked, or agree and only further encourage him? "I suppose," she hummed tiredly. "Although the place and timing are quite undignified."

"Good," he chuckled, "then you can pay me back later."

Right as she was about to throw a sharp retort at him, there was a click and the door swung open. Zelda was only grateful that no clothing had been removed and that the small amount of space justified their current position entwined together or else she would have been deeply mortified. As it was she flushed just the same as the attendant peered in from the hall.

He paused at the sight of the two of them and sighed. "Riiiiight. Not eloping at all."

"I told you we already went through that," retorted Link as he shimmied through the door and then helped her out.

"Link!" she hissed, squeezing his hand for all she was worth, as if trying to somehow break it.

He smiled back at her. "Ah, that's right, love. No one is supposed to know about it."

"Hey, tone it down unless you want those Knights to find you here," shot the attendant, motioning them down the hall.

Zelda and Link looked at one another in confusion before following.

"You didn't give us away then?" said Link tentatively.

The attendant snorted. "I told you, no information about any of our patrons is ever divulged. This village is close to the border you know. Many people have came through while escaping the invasion or running off to explore new lands."

"But these are Hyrulean Knights after us," said Link, frowning. "What if we were convicts? Do you help enemies of Hyrule as well?"

That was a very good point. Zelda understood keeping a customer's privacy, but if they went against the law then that could be troublesome. The attendant didn't seem to worry though as he took them outside to the stables.

"Convicts are a different matter," he said looking back at them. "But you're not a convict are you, hero."

"Eh?" responded Link lamely, pausing. Zelda pushed him through the doors and they immediately set to preparing their horses.

"I got your things but I didn't have time to get the horses ready," said the attendant, passing on their packs for them to stow away in the saddlebags.

"And how is it that you know of Link's status?" asked Zelda, tightening the straps on Dryad's saddle before patting the dark horse on the nose.

The attendant shrugged. "Garth, a close friend of mine, one of the soldiers, recognized him and remembered him as the Hero of Twilight." He turned to look at Zelda. "I don't even have to guess who that makes you."

She gave him a sheepish smile as she swung up on Dryad's back. "Secret's out then, I suppose."

"Only Garth and I have figured it out," he replied. "And maybe Arthur, the owner of the inn. It didn't look like you were being held against your will so we didn't do anything about it."

"Good man," inserted Link, steering Epona out of her stall to come up beside Zelda. "It's a good thing they didn't look in here. Sir Ryan would have recognized Epona at once. I'm going to have to berate him for the oversight." He smiled as if taking pleasure at the thought.

"You should go now," insisted the attendant urgently. "While Arthur is stalling them. I hope you can both ride in the dark."

Zelda gave Link a look. "We'll be fine," she said, kicking Dryad's flanks and spurring her forward.

The attendant called after them. "Good luck with…whatever it is you both are doing."

Link shot Zelda a wolfish grin, which had her blushing straight to her ear tips. She never wanted anyone to know what they'd been doing for most of this vacation.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you for helping us."

The attendant waved them off. "Just get going. My help will be useless if you get caught in the end anyways."

With that they shot off down the road into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know if that even counts as lemon, but whatever.**

_**Reader314**_**: I'll just refer to you as Reader314 then. Makes it easier ;)**

_**Twokeyz**_**: That…is a good point you make (about the timeline stuff). Actually, I did have that somewhere in my notes, but forgot to put it in the story, heh heh. Since I'm too lazy to go back and insert it in the chapter, I'll just tell you here. Basically it was all OoT Zelda's fault. She wanted to chronicle Link's adventures so wrote it all down – much to his dismay – and let the public have at it. People read the books, some believed them some didn't, but eventually over time it became legend anyways. The paintings in the museum were actually done by OoT Zelda. Grand huh.**

**Pertaining to Born to Rule, that story's on hold for a while since I need to straighten out the plot and get it all figured out. I will be finishing it though, eventually. ^^' sorry about that.**

**In answer to your review for Clandestine (because I'm not sure you'd read the next chapter to see the reply). Understood. I actually admire that you won't read things that go against your morals. Not many people do that these days. Lots of my friends say it doesn't matter because it's all fictional anyways, but according to psychology you become desensitized to whatever you're exposed to. So good on you! (Although, I would like to know what it is that you won't read so I can confirm or deny any of that happening in future chapters). In any case, I still love you and appreciate that you like my other stories! ^^**

**On that note, I'm going to say that I love all my readers whether you review or not! Simply taking the time to read my work is enough for me! XOXO**


End file.
